Kuon woke up first after hearing the alarm go off. Kyoko stayed cuddled up next to his side, sound asleep. She had wiggled down under his arm, curled up and softly breathing against his ribs.
So cute.
He managed to get up without disturbing her. He pulled the blanket to cover her and went to the restroom. After taking care of mother nature, he grabbed his toothbrush and looked at the mirror. His heart swelled and he couldn't help the smile on his lips at what he saw. Tiny little love bites decorated his skin all across his chest, half-moon nail marks embedded into his flesh at his arms and shoulders, and a light imprint of her teeth was seen high on his right pec. He was sure his back was equally marked up and it made him feel good all over.
Kuon took his time getting ready and when he left the bathroom, found his girl still asleep. He smiled and softly padded over to the closet. His eyes kept flicking over to her sleeping form as he riffled through his clothes. He would be lying if he didn't wish for her to wake up, but at the same time, she was so sweet sound asleep. He pulled some basic black clothes out and started to get dressed. He was not purposely trying to be quiet, but he instinctually got dressed mindful of his actions.
He carefully sat down at the edge of the bed to put on his socks. Kyoko shifted as his weight made her tip towards him. His breath froze and his heart started to race as he expected her to wake up. Her arm popped out of the covers and her knees shifted up as she moved to her side. She curled up on her side and her face nuzzled deeper into the covers she bundled around herself. Then, her breathing leveled and she went back to sleep.
Kuon let out a breathy laugh and proceeded to put on his socks. He was ready to go, even though it was early for Cain to arrive on set. He let his mind wander as he watched her sleep.
Should I stay, have a cup of coffee and possibly wake her up? Or wait for her to wake up? She would make me eat if I stayed. He twisted his lip in a contemplative frown. She has made him eat a lot recently and even with all of the extra activities, he still wasn't hungry. To skip out and simply have a cup of coffee was so tempting. And it would allow her to sleep as much as she wants. No doubt she would be upset if I left her though. Her work ethic might be stronger than mine. A soft little snort escaped her and he couldn't help but smile blissfully. I can't wake her up. I'll make it up to her later.
Smiling, satisfied with his choice, he stood up to leave. He went to the desk and wrote a goodbye note, letting her know where he went and some reassurance. He folded it once so it would stand, leaned over, and kissed her hair.
"I love you," he whispered and stood up. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart," he added to the silent room and left.
Kyoko groaned as she slowly woke up. Her body felt so heavy and her eyes didn't want to open. With her eyes still closed, she stretched her whole frame as far as it possibly could. She was aching. Her back ached, her hips and thighs ached, and she wasn't sure but she swore that even her womanhood felt a little worn out. Her body relaxed and she let herself sink into the soft bed for a moment. Everything reminded her of what she has done. The aches and pains, the heavy sleepy feeling even though she slept in. Regardless of how tired she felt, she felt pretty damn good too, and she owed all of that to a single person. Her arms swung out seeking out a certain someone but found the bed empty.
"Kuon?" She croaked as her throat was hoarse. She coughed to clear it as she pulled herself up, looking around the room. There wasn't a sound or peep of her lover as she sat up. Her hand instinctively went to her phone and that was where she found his note.
Kyoko
Wrapping the bed sheet around her naked body, she picked up the note to read it.
Good morning, sweetheart. I woke up with the alarm and left for the day. You were sleeping so soundly that I didn't have the heart to wake you up. Sleep in. Take your time getting up. Order room service, anything you want. Don't worry about getting to the set so quickly.
I love you.
KuonKyoko flushed and brought the note to her face, then back down to read it again. I love you. Kuon. Her face burned as she read that last line again and she flopped back onto the bed with a sigh and then a giggle. She raised the note at arms' length, grinning, and then quickly kissed it as if it were tied to him somehow.
"He still could have woken me up though," she said to the empty room. "He probably didn't even eat," she grumbled, and then suddenly her eyes went wide. "What time is it?!" She rolled over to the bedside table and grabbed her phone. 10:41am
"Oh my God! It's so late!" She bellowed and scrambled out of bed. Her body protested at the sudden action and she fell to the floor still wrapped up in the bedsheets.
"Okay, slow it down, Kyoko," she grumbled to herself as she pulled herself back up. She closed her eyes, took a calming deep breath once, twice, a third time, and then spoke again, "Kuon is right. I don't have to get there so quickly. Take a shower… no a bath and eat something and then head over casually." Another deep breath to clear her mind. "Kuon is Cain and they probably just finished with his make-up. They haven't even started filming yet and he is…"
Her eyes snapped open.
"He's alone."
Another pause.
"Alone with the rodent."
Manaka's bright irritating face and an echo of her voice shot through her mind and Kyoko instantly jumped up to leave, but then hesitated. She slowly sat down again thinking about Murasame. Even after everything they talked about last night, the idea of it would not leave her mind. It was too difficult to conceive the thought that he was simply flirting with her. Out of all of the beautiful women there, why her? It was more realistic to think that he figured her out, but the only way for her to find out is straight from him.
"But is it worth the risk?" She closed her eyes and groaned, burying her face in the sheets for a moment. What if while I'm trying to figure out if he knows, he figures it out then. It feels like I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't. She groaned and after a few minutes of thoughts and ideas getting thrown around in her head, she snapped up. "It doesn't matter, Kuon said he didn't care, so I don't care. Nii-san doesn't care. I don't care!" She declared into the empty room and started to move.
She bent over in her suitcase to figure out what outfit will be best to battle the heat when she saw her airplane ticket back home. A sudden realization hit her.
"Today is my last day."
Taking the ticket out and looking at it, she pressed her lips together frowning at the date. She is scheduled to leave early tomorrow afternoon, so she would have to leave before lunch to get to the airport on time. With a sigh, she put her ticket back in the pocket and started to ruffle through her clothes. It was easier but the loneliness was getting to her without Kuon around. There was a lot there to remind her of him and the fact that he wasn't around, especially as she stood in front of the mirror to cover up all of his love bites. She was starting to regret that he didn't wake her up this morning. That time with him was gone now. The drive to see him became stronger and she got dressed in record time.
Kyoko made her way to the set and got stares from the crowd and didn't blame them. She walked down the crowded sidewalk surrounded by people in light-colored, breezy clothes and happy faces. Meanwhile, she parted the way in a ripped-up black shirt that had so many cuts that one could piece together what was underneath if they looked hard enough. The shorts she found were very short and hugged her hips, barely covering her butt. Luckily, there was a pair of dense fishnet capris leggings that she could wear underneath that gave the illusion of coverage.
She was almost there when the lure of something yummy wafted across her nose. Her eyes followed the scent and found the sweet smell of a bakery. Her stomach grumbled after being ignored this morning and she went in and came out with a bag full of native baked sweets and coffee.
By the time she arrived on set, the crew was filming. Her little bench was empty and she saw a few people in the waiting room, but the key players were not there nor were there any signs of the filming crew, so that meant they were deep in the forest filming.
What would Setsu do? She thought to herself. On one hand, she wants to sit and eat because she didn't care about going out of her way for anything. She twisted her lip and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. But brother is out there in the unknown.
Kyoko sighed and whispered under her breath, "Brother wins." She stormed into the waiting room and caught the first person she saw who was innocently trying to get a sugar fix from the free for all.
"Hey," Setsu snapped at the older man who jumped and turned towards her. His eyes went wide and jerked over her next crazy outfit and then back to her face. "Where are they?"
"Ah, um," he stammered and blushed. Setsu frowned and glared at him impatiently. He wasn't all that much older, but still may be around Yashiro's age. Should he be this flustered because of a girl ten years younger than him?
She sneered at him and snapped her fingers in front of his face. "WAKE UP! Where… is… my… brother?!" She asked saying each word slowly in Japanese.
"Ah North," he quickly answered. "Not far," he continued in simple words as if she wasn't fluent in the language. His arm lifted and pointed in the general direction.
Instead of thanking him as Kyoko normally would, Setsu growled at him, "Keep your eyes to yourself." Then snapped at him with a bite of her teeth. Shockingly enough, it scared him off. Perhaps all my antagonist roles can come in handy. Setsu turned her heel and stormed out of the room.
They weren't very far but it still took some looking around to find the first hint of their filming. She was also very afraid of moving in the wrong direction and possibly wandering into the shot. Carefully making her way so she didn't fall on the uneven terrain, she found a small group of people loitering and watching. Safe! Kyoko cheered and made her way toward them. But not too close though. She stopped two trees behind them and could see the camera even farther away than she first thought.
That was fine though. She got comfortable at the base of the tree and pulled her little bag into her lap to start eating. Even though Cain was nowhere to be seen, she told herself not to think about it. She pulled out a little triangle cake that they called potu. The person said it was a rice cake so she thought it would be interesting. A single bite and it was very light and gently sweet. It crumbled a bit under pressure but it was easy to eat and gone within moments. Luckily, it was sold in pairs.
The group in front of her was idling about talking. She heard a word here and there, but not enough to make heads or tails of the conversation. They weren't doing much, not smoking or setting up or anything. They were dressed in casual clothes but that didn't mean much as it was hot and there was no dress code. There wasn't any equipment so she was curious as to what they were doing. She saw the camera and sound crew in the distance so she was in the right place.
Once she finished the second potu, she took a long draw of coffee and reached in to get her last item. It screamed sweet, but it was so odd that she had to get it – a bacon maple pancake muffin. It had little bacon bits on top of a pancake-like muffin and it had a drizzle of maple syrup over it. It was nothing she had before and it was staring at her to eat it. She carefully put her cup down and started to pull it apart. Movement caught her eye and she notice the men start to move. They were going toward the right into the woods and Kyoko had to suddenly concentrate on the muffin.
Syrup. The center dripped with pancake syrup and it was oozing into her hand. She was so distracted with the muffin to notice what was happening. She licked the heel of her palm and proceeded to take a large bite of it to stop the drip. It was super sweet and the pancake of it instantly stuck to her mouth. The muffin was not small and she didn't want to set it down on her lap but she wanted some coffee to wash it down.
Suddenly, a pair of combat boots landed right next to her and she jumped almost dropping everything in her arms. Honestly, she would have screamed if it wasn't for the glue of the muffin in her mouth. Black leather came into view in the form of a black trench coat, black jeans covered bent knees and gloved hands hung casually over them. Her sense quickly came back and instead of looking fearful of an undead killer landing next to her, she glared at her brother who dared surprise her.
"Hold this," she said around a mouth full of food as she forced her muffin into his hand. She was mindful and tried to put it so that it wouldn't stain his gloves, but Setsu wouldn't care. She grabbed her coffee and quickly started to drink. She looked at him and she drank and noticed at a lot of people were looking at her.
"What?" She asked in English with a frown.
"You're in the shot, Setsu," Cain informed her and sat down next to her.
"Oh," she said while Kyoko screamed in agony within her head. "Oops," she dismissed even though she was struggling to maintain her bored expression.
Cain smirked at her. Kuon knew that she was dying inside and he wanted to lessen the blow for her. "It wasn't a good shot anyway." He twisted around and sat down next to her. "What the fuck is this crap you are eating? Take this shit back." He motioned to drop the muffin when she quickly took it back.
"It's my breakfast," she snapped and then glared at him, "Did you have something?"
He looked off as the crew was resetting the shot. "And if I didn't?"
"Then I'll shove the rest of this sticky sugar-sweet muffin down your throat, don't think I can't do it," she threatened and Cain leaned away in fear.
"I ate. I ate," he quickly replied with a hand held up to stop her. She didn't have to ask, merely lifted her eyebrow asking for more detail. He relaxed as he elaborated, "I came in early enough to where I was able to get something from the breakfast table with the rest of the group."
Setsu was eating, nodding, and waiting for more. Cain coughed and quickly said, "I ate an apple."
Kyoko snorted. She couldn't help it because that was about right. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand to keep food from spilling out. Once she managed to swallow it, she asked, "Is that all?"
Cain cringed. "Please don't make me eat that." He genuinely looked afraid.
She twisted her head so that her face was away from the crowd hoping for a more intimate atmosphere with him. Her eyes softened as her lips spread into an easy smile. "Are you sure you don't want to try it?" Cain's expression changed when his eyes met hers, widening slightly. She could feel the stickiness on her hand, so she very slowly lifted her right hand with her eyes locked on his and deliberately gave her wrist and hand a long lick up towards her thumb.
"Yum," she purred.
A little growl started from Cain but nervous little footsteps interrupted whatever he was going to do. The two turned towards the sound and found Director Konoe approaching them.
"We need to reshoot the scene. Setsuka-san, it's lovely to have you here, but we need you to relocate please?"
"Yeah, fine," she sighed and proceeded to stand up. The moment she did, Cain snapped up and covered her as she bent over to pick up her trash and coffee from the ground.
"This is why I shouldn't have left early. You always leave the room in the most…"
Setsu twisted around with her arms full. "The most what?" She snapped almost angrily. "I look good." She posed momentarily and then poked him in the chest with the hand holding the coffee cup. "I told you. I. Am. Not. Your. Barbie. Doll. You don't have a say in what I wear. You get to look," she stepped up into his personal space to whisper up at him, "and if you are a good boy, I'll let you take it off."
Her shoulder purposely slammed into his arm defiantly as she walked away heading towards the cameras where it was safest to watch. There was when she saw both Murasame and Manaka standing together waiting. Murasame was already watching her walking towards them, but Setsu only had eyes for the rodent. Manaka was staring at her with wide eyes and cowering next to the man. She purposely moved closer to both of them enough so that when she did pass by, she lunged towards Manaka and bark at her, thus making her jump, yelp, and hide in Taira's chest.
Her eyes looked up to meet Taira's and he was looking at her curiously like the first time they met. It was not a look of disgust or irritation, but rather an inquisitive look. Setsu sneered, stuck her tongue out at him, and continued to walk forward without stopping. Taira continued to watch her, trying to make the girl he met last night and the vision in black merge together but the two would not mix. As if the girl was water and Setsuka was black inky oil.
"You keep looking at her and I'll rip your fucking eyes out of your tiny head," Cain threatened him in perfect Japanese. His deep rumble of a voice was way too close to his ear and Taira had to jump away once he realized Cain was that close to him. Taira wanted to snap back at him, but the look Cain was giving him sent chills down his spine and made all his words and thoughts shrivel up and die.
Cain walked off feeling a little better. That was what he wanted to say last night as he watched that jack wagon try to pick up Kyoko and he was helpless to the scene. However, his mood only seemed to worsen as every fucking asshole on set kept stealing glances at Kyoko who wore nothing but black booty shorts with fucking see-through fishnets and a ripped-up shirt showing off her black lace bra.
Seriously! What the fuck?! Did she wear that for me? Is she seriously comfortable wearing that little?
She found a chair and sat down to finish eating not caring one bit who it belonged to. Cain walked up to her like a man on a mission, but ended up simply standing there threatening everyone with a glare should they look over at her.
"How long will today be?" She asked not caring what anyone did around her.
"Long," he answered simply.
There was a moment of silence before she asked, "Did you get to play with your pet?"
"I spent as much time with it as you have with yours," he answered cryptically, making her look up at him confused. He smirked at her and then pointed over to Murasame. Taira was still looking at her, studying her.
Setsu huffed upset and picked at her muffin no longer enjoying the taste. "I keep telling you," she sang mockingly.
"He doesn't know shit," Cain replied and then he was called over. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Don't wander off."
"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled before putting another bite into her mouth. Cain glanced at her and his eyes softened. He ducked his head down to hide his heart's smile. He meandered over with a wide smile on his face thinking about the love of his life.
"Hey," a voice sounded beside him snapping him out of his thoughts. All affection left his face as he looked down at Taira. Taira stood next to him and spoke without looking up, "What did you do last night?"
Cain's expression did not alter at the other man's words. Instead, he looked up as Director Konoe passed by them, expecting him to start the scene but he did not stop. He went to Manaka who was talking to another woman that was meant to die in this scene.
"Well, I'll go first." Taira continued, "I had a good night. It could have been better though. I went out with some guys, and found a nice place at the beach with decent food and good beer." He looked up at Cain who was as dead as his character. "And then there were the women." He watched Cain's face as he said this part. He was tempting fate or more likely his face because he knew the man he saw last night was him. The cute girl being Setsu was a stretch, but Cain was definitely there. All he had to do was get some sort of reaction out of him.
"They were all gorgeous and being on the island makes them wear the tiniest little things. You know what I mean," Taira implied crudely. "There was this one girl, oh man. Tiny little thing of a girl with short brown hair and big brown eyes." He hesitated and gave Cain a once over. Still nothing. He wasn't even sure if the man was listening to him. He went on, "She had this short blue and orange little dress that molded to her body perfectly. Showing off the sexiest pair of legs, where all you could think about was how they would feel when they are tightly wrapped around you."
This really wasn't his way. He would never talk about a woman like this, but he wanted to get a rise out of him. He watched Cain and there was nothing. Taira frowned. It has to be him. This fucker doesn't even care that I'm talking horribly about the girl he was with. I'm probably feeling worse talking dirty about that sweet girl than he is listening to it. He looked away and contemplated leaving, but in for a penny, in for a pound. "I struck out with her though. It sucks because she turned me down the moment I approached her, but I had to try. She was worth the try, cuz even though she looked sweet, there was something more to her. I saw her dancing and that little dress fluttered around as she wiggled her ass and showed off the sexiest little lace panties." He obnoxiously grunted and gave Cain a lecherous smile. "Any girl that wears panties like that has got to be fun in… where you going?"
Cain walked off unable to hear another word the idiot was saying.
"Hey!" Taira called after him and Cain could hear his footsteps following. "I thought we were finally connecting here."
Cain hesitated because he couldn't help himself anymore. He turned to the smaller man and growled, "If you want to connect, I'll connect my fist to your face."
Taira smiled as if he won. "How'd I piss you off this time, eh? I was just talking." No reply. Murasame wanted to cut straight to the point. This whole baiting the hook was testing his patience, but he was so close! "Are you upset that you didn't get invited with us?" Taira jested. "Not that your sister would ever let you go. Speaking of which," he turned his head to smirk at the girl behind them sipping her drink. "That woman looked a whole lot like your sister. Great legs, tight little…"
He was suddenly grabbed and lifted by his shirt, raising every alarm in his brain to high alert. Fuck, this asshole is strong. Cain pulled Taira up to his face allowing him to glare at him in full BJ make-up. Taira would admit that it made him sweat. "You ever fucking talk or even look at her with that shit running through your head, I'll fucking rip your balls off and feed them to you."
"Ah, Ah, Ah, Cain-san, please no fighting! No fighting." Director Konoe rushed up at the beginning signs of another altercation.
Cain sneered and shoved Taira away. Konoe sighed as Cain left to get into position. "Murasame-san, please stop antagonizing him."
"ME!?" Taira bellowed outraged. "He's the one with the anger issues."
It took a while, but Kuon manage to find himself much needed alone time. He was seething. The blood was near boiling underneath his flesh. It was difficult to breathe past it, and his head was pounding. His fist clenched and relaxed over and over again. He wanted to scream and yell, but most of all he wanted to rip Murasame's heart out and stomp on it. His feet paced back and forth in an angry circle and it just wasn't enough.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!" He let out a guttural roar and swung his leg around and kicked the nearest tree. He was professionally trained on how to kick without hurting himself. Years of practice were ingrained in him. He repeated the move over and over again. Slamming his foot against the bark of the tree until chunks of it fell to the ground and his leg started to throb reminding him that the tree would eventually win. He huffed and used the tree for support as he tried to simmer down.
"Feel better?"
Cain twisted around shocked by another person's presence. He was about ready to lash out at the person who dared approach, but the moment he saw her, all of his energy drained away and he felt bashful and ashamed. He dropped his gaze unable to meet her eyes. "I told you not to wander," he grumbled.
"Yeah, well that's hard to do when you disappear. When they realized you weren't in position, they asked me to collect you since no one else was brave enough," she explained. Cain nodded, not trusting his voice. Not really trusting that he was Cain yet.
"What did he say to you?"
He looked up at her. She had her arms crossed and her hip cocked to the side. She looked like Setsuka but her tone was all Kyoko.
He shook his head, "Nothing. Let's go." He managed to take a few steps before she moved up in front of him. He stopped before touching her, so she took that last step forward. Her hands rose to touch him. Her fingers somehow slipped between the torn-up shirt and grazed the base of his ribs. He sucked in air sharply at the touch of her hand, looked up, and closed his eyes.
She leaned her forehead high on his chest and softly whispered, "Corn."
The child's nickname sounded so much like his real name that it struck through him like a bolt. He grabbed her hips to move her but she pressed further against him.
"Whatever he said, it's not true," she quickly told him but her words confused him. She went on when he stilled, "You are not that person anymore. Even if someone upsets you, even when you are in danger, you will stop and come back." Her arms slipped around him and she looked at him. "You will come back to me, right?"
His face finally dropped and his heart leaped into his eyes. "Always. That's not even a question."
She smiled pleased. "Now forget what that fool said and let's finish today's shooting so that I can have you all to myself again."
He snorted, wrapped his arms around her, and hugged her tightly. She misunderstood his anger, but honestly, he wasn't ever going to repeat what he said. Especially since, it was him that Murasame recognized, not her. It was more than obvious that he was trying to find something to trigger him. His retelling of last night's events was too accurate and focused on Kyoko too much. The key was that he still thought he was simply Cain picking up some random girl. Which was fine. So long as he didn't connect their characters to their true selves, they would be okay.
Once they were back, Director Konoe didn't let anyone else approach them. He thanked Setsuka and she sashayed back to the seat, and Konoe quickly went over to point at where they were expecting to shoot. He listened, but his eyes couldn't help but watch her walk away. His eyes loved and hated how short her shorts were. His fingers wished to slip in-between the fishnets that covered her thighs.
"Cain-san?" Konoe called to him unsure. "Did you get all that?"
"Yeah, let's go." He grunted and slipped into the shadows that mysteriously appeared in the middle of the day.
Setsuka stayed in the chair watching until the crew started talking about lunch. They were still filming and with how things were going, it might take a little longer before they call for a break. Things seem to be going well right now, and the camera was capturing a lot of good shots. Sometimes it was a shame to have to call it because of how well everything was going and this might be one of those moments. They mention that the catering crew was already done and others were hoping they would call it soon. Kyoko herself wasn't terribly hungry, but she had to go to the restroom badly.
She had no idea that Murasame would already be there when she arrived. He noticed her right away as she walked in. She still had to go to the ladies' room though, so she ignored him completely as she passed by. Her hair was a mess and her lipstick was pretty much gone, so she took a few extra minutes to fix herself up. This outfit was a lot cooler than the previous two, but it was a bit of an eye-catcher. She did notice a few more stares coming her way. At first, she thought she was simply being self-conscious, but no, she caught quite a few quickly looking away with flushed cheeks.
Kyoko checked to make sure none of the love bites were showing. Sweat made one show a tiny bit but it wasn't that bad. One little touch-up was enough and she was good. She was procrastinating going out there. She didn't want to give Murasame the chance to talk to her alone. Just go out there and deny everything. It's not a big deal. Be rude. Be mean. Be Setsuka Heel.
Luckily, Cain was already there when she arrived. The entire crew must have called for lunch shortly after she left. Internally, she was bursting with relief and joy. Externally, she simply moved over to the food line to get their meal. She was dishing out rice for him when suddenly someone pushed against her shoulder almost making her drop it.
"Watch it!" She snapped and saw Murasame cutting in line to stand next to her. Her blood pressure spiked but stayed in character.
"Right… excuse me," he said in heavy accented English. "That is how you say it, right? Could you say it for me?" He prompted staring intently at her. She took a breath to speak and he waited in eager anticipation.
"No cuts!" She yelled and stepped on his foot. Taira yelped and backed away from the threat.
Taira cursed back, "You are a crazy bi…" Setsu quickly glared at him daring him to finish that statement. He visibly swallowed and tried to restart. "I just wanted some more rice. I was going to be in and out in a second."
Setsu snorted, "I bet you say that to all the girls." The crewman that was next to her whom Taira cut in front of laughed but it was cut off just as quickly and he coughed to cover it up.
"There is no fucking way…" Taira grumbled to himself and stormed off. Setsu smiled as she continued down the line. Setsu grabbed two bottles of water and maneuvered through the room towards Cain. He managed to snag the couch all to himself. Not that anyone would have ever voluntarily sat with him. Except for the rodent… She looked around the room and saw that she was still in line to eat. Safe!
Cain was waiting patiently on the couch with his trench coat and gloves resting behind him. He couldn't help but watch her move through the crowd and notice every person that was watching her. It really shouldn't have bothered him. People have been looking at her ever since they arrived on the set of Tragic Marker, but the words Murasame said were making things worse. He focused his attention back on her. She gracefully walked towards him, never losing her elegance even dressed in gothic punk clothes. He was drawn by the sway of her hips, and the fishnets that marred her creamy thighs. He followed the mesh up as it disappeared under her black shorts and he could see that they reappear slightly at her waist. However, the small glimpses of her pure skin through her shirt told him it didn't go all the way up.
She stopped in front of him and held out a cold bottle of water dripping from condensation. He took it but she didn't let go of it. He looked up at her and found her smirking down at him. "What are you thinking about?" she whispered in a husky voice making him instantly hard.
"I'm thirsty," he rumbled and lightly pulled at the bottle. She smiled sinfully at him and let him pull the bottle from her hand. The condensation gathered at her fingers. He watched her spread the water at her fingers across her lips, making them wet and shiny.
"Well then, you should drink up," she murmured and proceeded to lick her lips tauntingly. He growled at her, causing her to laugh as she got ready to eat. He loudly cracked the seal from the bottle as he watched her sort things on the small coffee table in front of them. He put his foot on the edge and she simply smiled at him knowing the tension she was putting him through. He took a long swig of the cold water to cool him down and she kicked his foot that was still on the floor.
"Make room," she told him and he looked up at her confused. She had the food in one hand and chopsticks in the other. She twisted around and moved to sit on his lap. He was too stunned to stop her and simply followed her lead until she settled across his lap with her back leaning against the arm of the couch and his bent-up leg. Her gorgeous legs were over his right with her boots dirtying up the couch cushion beside him.
"Ahh," she sounded with a piece of food on the end of her chopsticks waiting for him to open his mouth. "I'm not letting you get away with only an apple," she insisted and he opened his mouth wide to take in the bite. Setsu happily started eating from the same box. He watched her eat in his lap, feeding him little bites here and there as if this was something they did every day. Even though they are together, sharing a bed, it's still too early in their relationship for her to be this comfortable with what she was doing. He wanted to ask her why she was swallowing her discomfort to do it. Even he thought this was a little more intimate than he was used to, but he would be lying if he said he didn't like it. The cute little face she made each time she gave him another morsel. The elegant way she ate even curled up on his lap. He got to watch her full lips part to take in more, growing wet and shiny from her saliva. He set his arm behind her, resting on his knee. He fiddled with the strands of the blonde hair as an excuse so that his fingertips could graze the exposed skin at her back. Her hip was pressed against his groin reminding him of his previous actions every now and then. He would have put his other hand on her bare legs, the desire to stroke her skin was there, but he kept the water bottle in it. He needed something to prevent him from mauling her right there and then in front of everyone.
People eating would glance over at them, turn green or purple and quickly look away. He could feel how uncomfortable she was making everyone in the room. However, there wasn't an ounce of discomfort from her at all. Halfway through their meal, the people's advocate came up to break them apart.
Taira stormed up to them. "Why are you two such freaks!?" He grabbed her arm to yank her off his lap and Cain grabbed his forearm.
"Let go of her," Cain threatened.
"Only if she gets off of you. You are making the whole room sick with your incestuous display," Murasame snarled.
Setsu yanked her arm free from Taira's grip. She was careful not to spill anything. "Why does anyone care anyway?!" She yelled a little too loud. "Would you rather I call him something else?" She turned to Cain and looked at him and tried out different things, "Cain-kun? Sweetheart? Dear? Oh, what about," she leaned in and softly whispered in Cain's ear but was looking up at Murasame, "Sempai." A shiver ran down Cain's spine but his reaction was masked by Setsu continuing, "It doesn't matter what I call him, it doesn't change what he is to me. My Nii-san. Believe whatever it is that allows you to sleep at night, but leave us the fuck alone!"
Murasame was fuming and he leaned down caging the two of them in. He looked directly at Cain bypassing Setuska. "I know that was you last night. You were at the same bar I was at with some innocent brunette. Smiling and laughing, dancing with her, trying to get her drunk. Does she," he knocked his head towards Setsuka as he continued, "know that her precious Nii-san was trying to get his dick wet?"
Cain's large hand covered Taira's face and shoved him back into the coffee table. Setsu rolled off his lap dropping what she had as Cain rose to his feet to loom over Murasame.
"You've said your last words," Cain roared. People started to run out of the room as Cain grabbed Taira's shirt. Taira was not going to make it easy on the guy and started to fight back. Kyoko stood in the corner of the room watching. Kuon was so angry. As angry as he was that night those men tried to pick her up. She was too afraid, too surprised to absorb how good Kuon was. The first time she saw them fight, she assumed it was all good staging fighting, but now. Kyoko was shaking in the corner. The movements were too fast for her to follow. She flinched every time a hit landed. Most were on Taira but he managed to hit Kuon after being hit himself.
Soon, several of the largest crewmen came in and broke the fight up. Konoe was flustered red and instead of worried or anxious, he was angry too.
"I've had enough of this. Both of you have taken this feud too far for absolutely no reason! Neither of you are to speak to, look at, or even go near each other unless it is for the camera. We are days away from completing this film and I will not have you two ruin all of the work everyone has put into this all because of some schoolyard bullying."
Konoe took a breath and examined them. Taira had a busted lip and eyebrow and he was favoring his left side. Cain's makeup was falling off and he was bleeding from his right eyebrow.
"Both of you! Get cleaned up!"
Taira stormed out of the room first in an angry huff. Cain hesitated to look around the room and found Kyoko still standing in the corner. Their eyes met and he held his hand out to her, asking and waiting. Kyoko looked up into his eyes. They were still those bloodshot dead eyes, but they were surrounded by worry and fear. She was still trembling slightly but her body instinctively moved to him. She took his large outstretched hand and he quickly grasped onto her smaller one. He twisted to walk out with her in tow. She struggled to keep up but did not say anything.
They made their way into his dressing room and as soon as the door closed behind them, it reopened again. Director Konoe came in a frenzy. He shut the door behind him and started to pace in front of it. He shook his head and his hand shook in the air trying to wave off his thoughts. The two of them stood in the middle of the room watching him.
"Once again, I'm dumbfounded! Why? Why did you decide to go down this path? Did you know Murasame-san in the past? Do you two have a history or a past that I'm not aware of? From the moment you two met, there was this animosity between you two. Does he know who you are? Or is it you that remember him and decided to what? Take advantage of the fact that he doesn't recognize you to settle an old score?"
"I've never met him before now," Cain stated.
Konoe stopped in his tracks and snapped to look at him. "Then what is it? Explain! Murasame-san gets along with everyone here but you. I asked you to be the antagonist on film, not on set. At first, it was exciting and it made everyone act better being fearful of you, but it's not worth it if the film is ruined." Konoe watched him, waiting for an answer and he saw the taller, younger man's gaze go to the girl next to him. He looked at the young woman while she had her head down patiently awaiting punishment.
Konoe groaned in defeat. "Fine. I don't need to know." He looked at the girl that seemed to be too young to be in a love triangle. He shook his head. "I honestly don't want to know. Just… I need you to completely eliminate the thing with Murasame. I'm giving you thirty minutes to get it together. And I don't want a repeat of this ever again," he declared and walked out the door.
Kuon closed his eyes, ashamed that he let his emotions run away with him. He had no idea why he let Murasame get under his skin like that, but that guy pushed all of his buttons. He brought out the worse in him. He thought he was past all that, that he finally grew out of it yet there he was getting into trouble again over a few stupid…
He jumped as small delicate fingers touched his temple. He blinked down at Kyoko who was looking up at him worriedly. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Kuon lifted his hand allowing her to see his bruised knuckles. She nodded a little too quickly and took his hand again. She led him to the couch and sat him down.
"We um, should get some ice, and uh, I'm sure they have a first aid kit somewhere," she spoke out all of her thoughts. Her voice warbled and it made Kuon look up at her with concern. She was shaking, pale and disoriented. Even though she knew what she had to do, she had no idea where to start and simply looked around the room in a daze. Not moving, seeing, or thinking. She's in shock.
"Kyoko," he called to her.
"Yes, I know. Ice. Right. Ice should be easy. There is um, ice in the uh…."
She was close enough for him to touch. She jumped as soon as she felt his fingers wrap around her hand. "Kyoko, sweetheart, come here."
"B-b-but your h-h-hands and fac-c-c-ce, they n-need…" she stammered and tears started to run down her face. Kuon quickly pulled her into his lap. She crumbled into his arms and broke down crying as soon as she was held.
"Shhh, it's okay. Everything is okay," he comforted her, rocking softly and stroking her back. Several moments passed and he began murmuring in her hair, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." It took a little longer for her to calm down enough to hear him but when she finally did, she shifted to look up at him.
"Corn?" she spoke softly and his voice went quiet; however, he wouldn't look at her. "Why are you sorry?" His hands stopped petting her and the arms that held her loosened slightly.
"Because I scared you. Watching me fight like that, seeing who I really am," he whispered.
Kyoko swallowed, not knowing why she was so shocked by what she saw. It shouldn't be a surprise and yet watching it, watching him, and feeling the rage radiating from the two of them. It was all so overwhelming. After a while, Kyoko rested her head high on his chest at his shoulder. Tension filled him as she cuddled against him. She closed her eyes and could feel his heart racing within his chest. She took a deep breath and filled her lungs with the scent of him. Even under all the make-up and prosthetics, she could pick out his scent and it made her heart flutter.
"It did scare me," she finally admitted and his breath hitched. His arms dropped from around her and she pressed herself tighter against him. "I've seen fights before, but never anything like that." His heart picked up under her ear and he shifted uncomfortably. "I was scared of you getting hurt. I was scared of you hurting him. I was afraid of the aftermath, but most of all I was scared of what you would be going through."
Frowning, he shook his head, "I don't understand."
Her arms slipped around him and she hugged him, nuzzling her face against his neck. "I was so afraid you would fall into your darkness. I was so afraid I'd lose you in your despair."
He groaned and pulled her away from him. She sat shocked at arms' length. "You should be afraid of me. I've got a temper, and I know how to hurt people. How could you want me knowing what I can do? I am insanely jealous. The things he said about you earlier. I wanted to rip his throat out. I wanted…"
"Wait, what do you mean?" She interrupted. "He was talking about me earlier? When you disappeared in the woods?"
He dropped his eyes and nodded. His hand gripped her biceps tightly as he whispered, "He was talking about you – the real you. He saw us at the restaurant and commented on how beautiful you were. Of how sexy you looked in your dress and how much he wanted to take you to his room."
She blinked in disbelief, but now was not the time for that disagreement. She shifted in her seat, moving to straddle his lap. Kuon's hands stayed on her arms but her repositioning got her closer. "Corn, he was trying to prove that it was you last night. Earlier in the lunch line, he asked me to speak in English, something Setsuka would never say but I did. That night I said Excuse me in English and he knew it was me. I'm telling you he knows!"
He shook his head. "Then why would he come up to us when you were sitting on my lap. He was still acting like we are related lovers."
Kyoko laughed and it was filled with all the anxiety and tension within her. She fell forward and he supported it. Her forehead landed on his shoulder. "I don't think he believes I'm that same girl because I stomped on his foot for cutting in line, and he called me a crazy bitch."
"What?" Kuon growled. A chill ran through her at the murderous tone in his deep voice. All of the hair raised on her body and she shook her head to get rid of the feeling.
"Don't. It doesn't bother me," she reasoned as she smoothed her hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders and shifted her hips closer to his. His hands slipped behind her, hesitantly touching her. She maneuvered her way into his arms. Her body nearly pressed up against his and her hands slipped into his hair. She tilted her head to the side and he knew what her intention was as she grew closer. Her nails raked against his scalp and he could feel her breath against his face as she whimpered softly, "Kuon."
He jerked away, head twisting away from her and leaning back. She whined as she squirmed in his lap. "I thought you didn't want to kiss me while I dressed like BJ." It was a lame excuse but it was something he could use to dissuade her. He didn't want to kiss her, didn't want to drag her further down his destruction.
Suddenly, both of her hands captured his face and yanked him forward with all of her strength. It hurt his jaw but he twisted back towards her. He was met with a look of fury and anguish but determination. She went up to her knees to place herself above him, nose to nose. She twisted her face to kiss him again and her eyes went soft as she whispered, "you promised." Then her lips crashed against his.
Promise? It hurt once again as she aggressively kissed him. Her teeth hit their lips and he was forced to open his mouth or cut his lip. My promise to bring her happiness? His hands gripped her hips to pull her off but she used her body weight to lean over him and keep herself there. But I only scare her. She twisted her head and plunged her tongue into his mouth. How? He groaned as that slick muscle slipped along his. I want to. He felt her hands reach down to his wrists and pull. She deserves so much more than this. His will was slowly slipping away as she continued the lip lock, licking, teasing, and playing with his mouth. God. Soon his hands were intertwined with hers. Help me. She pushed his hands back until they hit the back of the couch, sinking into the cushions.
Help me keep my promise.
The kiss lasted longer than he expected and it soon started to soften. The heat of her breath blew across his cheek as she slowed down and sensuously kissed him. Her hands let his go as she got lost in the feeling. Her fingers slipped into his hair and her body shifted closer to him, her hips rocking against his awakening arousal. Kuon was completely taken by her and embraced her as soon as his hands were free. He rubbed her back, found the little rips that he could slip his fingers through, and touched her skin. She moaned into his mouth and slowly started to melt under his touch.
Kuon felt the shift and started to take over. He started to drive the intensity of the kiss, to lean forward and hug her closer as his tongue drove into her mouth. Soft little sounds slipped from her mouth and he ate them all. His hands sought out her skin and found the clasp of her bra. He instinctively unhooked it and his hand crept forward to capture his revealed prize. Kyoko broke the kiss gasping when his hand cupped her breast, which worked out great for him. He ducked down and pulled the shirt and bra up until her right nipple poked through a tear and his mouth captured it.
She moaned out loudly in the room and he twisted them around so that she would lay on the couch they were on. He circled the tip of her breast with his tongue and sucked her flesh through the hole. His right hand slipped down and found the fishnets at her thigh. His fingers sunk between those holes like he wanted to do all day and ripped them. Kyoko gasped as his hand slipped under and forced it to cup her backside. The shorts were loose enough to fit but not enough for him to do much else. He let go of her breast and moved up to kiss her when there was a knock at the door.
"Heel-san?" It was a timid male voice but seemed to be one of experience as he did not try to open the door. "Heel-san, we need to do your make-up," the man said in rough English.
Kuon cursed and pulled up at arms' length above Kyoko. He looked down at her and was overcome with desire. She was flushed red, panting and looking at him with smoldering eyes. Her lips were wet and swollen from their kisses. Her dark hard nipples shoved through the tears of the black fabric. His body was already cradled between her thighs and he didn't want to move.
"Heel-san?" He yelled through the door with uncertainty and then some panicked Japanese started to be heard as they debated on whether they should open the door or get the director, or…
"You should open the door," Kyoko panted and he groaned. He quickly leaned down and kissed her again which she obliged. It was a short messy kiss that ended as he crawled off of her. He detoured to the breast and ran his tongue across it, causing her to gasp and her back to arch up against him. His lips pinched the tip slightly before letting go. His hands ran down her legs as his mouth kissed down her body. He grazed his teeth against her stomach and then moved to kiss over her mound and down her thigh. With a final kiss at her knee, he stood up and headed to the door. She pushed herself up, her body wondering why everything started and stopped so suddenly. She was shaking for a completely different reason now. Kuon stood before the door and she watched him reach into his pants and adjusted himself.
Kyoko whimpered slightly, making him look at her. "Sweet mercy," he murmured. She looked at him like a succubus waiting to eat his soul with her breasts teasing him and face screaming for more. The heated look in her eyes, the way her body called to him, begging for him to return to the couch and into her embrace. That was a death he would gladly let take him.
"Please sweetheart," he said, tortured by her. "You do want me to open the door, right?" He asked and gestured to her top. She looked down as if she had to see with her own eyes that she was unpresentable. She quickly sat up and put everything in place once more. It took less than a minute but it tortured them both to have to do so.
Cain jerked the door open to see his two make-up artists timidly waiting. He jerked his head, gesturing them inside, and stood in the middle of the room to allow them to work.
"Everything is good now. He's ready," Setsu told them and they finally saw her in the room. They both blushed to see her but moved on to work.
The filming continued with Cain and Taira completely avoiding each other. They did not look or approach each other at all unless it was required for them to do so. Konoe must have been happy, but she could tell that there was still a lot of tension between the two men. Setsuka was kept close but it still wasn't enough for Cain to watch every moment. They had to move around a lot and because Cain was the antagonist, he was needed all the time; meanwhile, Murasame was not.
Taira sat down right next to her. Didn't say a word, didn't look at her. He simply sat down and drank water. In his defense, it was the only other chair in the area. Her eyebrow arched up when he sat and she expected him to start talking right away. She shifted her body away from him and crossed her legs to the other side which he took note of. She had Kuon's phone and he told her she could do whatever she wanted: play games, watch videos, or even snoop. She laughed and shook her head, thinking it was such a weird comment, but there was a sort of honesty to his tone that made her simply accept. There was no temptation, but it would be nice to use it as a distraction away from Taira.
She took it out and was typing in the access code when he finally spoke, "Look. I'm tired of beating around the bush and I'll get straight to the point. Tell me if Cain went out last night." It wasn't a question, more like a demand.
Setsu glanced over at him. He wasn't looking at her, but sternly at the open area. She said nothing and swiped at the screen. His home screen was a plain blue default. Does he take pictures of anything?
"Come on, you have to know that he went out last night. Just give me that," he pleaded.
She smiled because it really was killing him. He knew it was him, and in his mind, there was no other option, but the Kuon from last night was such a contradiction from the Cain he works with. She mindlessly scrolled through the apps on his phone. "But if I tell you I don't get to see you squirm anymore," she purred in delight.
Taira groaned. "Oh my God, being with you would be like sleeping on a bed of roses."
Setsu blinked, thinking about that, and looked at him confused, "What?"
He looked at her too. "It looks gorgeous and enticing. The first touch is soft and smells so sweet. Making it something that you would want, but the moment you slip in, thorns pierce your skin, and I have a feeling the moment you have your hooks in, you don't let go." Her eyebrow cocked up at the description and she watched as his eyes roamed down her body. "Considering how obsessed your 'nii-san' is about you, I'm thinking the pleasure is worth all of the pain."
It couldn't be helped. Kyoko burned bright red and she quickly looked away. He snorted seeing her reaction and Kyoko cursed at herself for slipping up. "Hot damn. Don't do that."
Murasame was confusing her and she looked at him again. His hand covered his face and he was looking away. "What?" she snapped.
He gave her a sideways glance and smirked at her. "Don't show me your cute side. I really don't want to die chasing someone who is not available."
She was upset that his words broke through her character, so she snapped back at him in reply, "Then stop talking to me! You're not supposed to be around us anyway."
"No, him. I'm not allowed to be around him. You were not part of the agreement." Setsu rolled her eyes. "So then, did you let him off his leash last night?"
She let out an exasperated huff. "No," she answered with a straight face. "I did not "let him off his leash" as you put it. He was with me all night. He would not leave my side even if I told him to go out and what did you say - Wet his dick?" Setsu pretended to gag. "You are disgusting by the way." She twisted away again and focused on the phone that went to sleep again. She quickly awakened it and went online. She didn't care what to look at - the news, the weather, cat videos would be better than this.
Taira was truly ashamed that he said that. "That's not how I normally talk."
"Uh-huh," she didn't believe him.
"I don't, alright." He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. "I've been around a lot of jerks when I was younger and I heard a lot of shit, but that doesn't mean I disrespect women. I felt like crap when I was talking about that girl last night."
"Uh-huh," she said as if she wasn't listening, but it was difficult not to when the guy was talking about yourself. While she had no idea what Taira said to Cain regarding their brief conversation last night, it wasn't anything Kuon liked. Granted, she still wasn't sure where exactly that line of jealousy crossed with him.
Murasame sighed as if he was frustrated. She tried to make it seem like he wasn't getting anywhere, yet he kept talking. "I was sure the guy she was with was your brother."
"It was not my brother," Setsu confirmed in complete honesty. He may be everything to me, but the one thing he is not is my brother.
"Shit," Taira cursed under his breath and stepped out of his chair. Setsu shifted slightly to see what he was doing and saw him quickly walk away. Did he give up?
"Was he bothering you?" Cain asked in a careful voice, causing her to jerk her head up to him. She didn't even notice him stepping up. Did Murasame?
"Not that I noticed," she answered and then jumped out of the chair. "Are we done? Can we go?"
"No, they want to set up another scene. I have a few minutes," he informed her.
She slumped dramatically. "It's almost dark. They can't film for much longer?!"
Cain smirked and sat down in her chair. "Yeah, well. We need to do at least one more scene." He found her water bottle on the ground and leaned over to pick it up. She eyed him stealing all of her things.
"Mine," she took it before he was able to take a sip. "And you are in my chair."
"Sit here," He grabbed the chair Taira was in and pulled it over to him. "And are you really not going to let me have your water?"
Setsu smirked. She looked at the empty chair and kicked it over. "That's dirty," she told him and then stepped up and lifted her knee to graze along the inside of his left leg. "But if you let me sit here, I'll give you the water."
"Fine," he sighed, placing his hands on the armrest to get up, but instead she slipped her leg over his knee and sat down on his lap again. He was forced to sit back as she got comfortable across his thighs. She hooked her left arm around his shoulder and crossed her legs towards him so that it forced her body against his.
"Here is your water, Nii-san." She held it out for him and he cautiously took it. She idly stroked his hair as he drank it. He had gotten used to drinking anything with lip make-up, so it was not endangered. He finished it off and she smiled as she took the empty bottle from him.
"Satisfied?"
"Hardly," he grumbled and smirked at her. "I was hoping for something with a little more body to it." He dropped his hand and slipped his fingers between her thighs. A light blush colored her cheeks, something she apparently had difficulty controlling. Her eyes darted around the area as his hand squeezed her thigh. People were busy and they were cozied up in the chair enough that someone would literally have to look at their laps to see what he was doing. Her eyes met with his and she bit her lower lip as she lifted her right leg slightly so he had more freedom to roam.
He groaned and slid his hand further up her leg. "Why must you tempt me when I can't do anything about it?"
She shrugged and slipped slightly out of character. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "This is like foreplay, right? I missed you this morning and I've had a lot of time to think about tonight."
Kuon groaned and squeezed her thigh. "No, baby. This is torture."
She genuinely looked sad. "That was not my intention." She started to get off his lap, but his hand held her fast.
"Where are you going?"
"Off. I'll sit on the other chair if all I'm doing is hurting you," she said reasonably, making him laugh. She frowned, not understanding. Setsuka made it look like she was angry though.
"Get back over here," he ordered and pulled her snuggly against him once more. He had to remove his hand and instead of slipping it between her thighs, he set it on her knee while the other held her from behind resting on her hip. "When I said torture, I was not saying you are causing me pain. Though if things grow in the wrong direction it could smart," he amended and she blushed a little darker. He twisted his head to the side and his eyes drooped a bit in lust. "But this little possessive act Setsu is doing is testing my patience. I have my lover on my lap, but I'm not allowed to do any of the things I want to do to you."
She visibly gulped. She took a breath and parted her lips to speak but someone beat her to it.
"Heel-san," Director Konoe called out to him.
"As I said, I had a few minutes," he reminded her. She slipped off his lap, allowing him to get up. He fixed his trench coat around him before lifting a hand to take a hold of her chin and gently lift her face. Her cheeks were still slightly red and her eyes were swimming with heat. "We aren't going out tonight, sweetheart. Be prepared." Her face grew darker and instead of answering she simply nodded.