AN: Half for my own sanity and half so I can update more fics. I'm trying to go for an update a month depending on the number of unique hits a story has. If a story gets a really high amount of hits I might come out with two chapters for each month. I hope you continue to enjoy my work 😊

Chapter Five

5.1

As Kyoko finished cooking the soup and serving it into bowls for everyone, she entered the movie room to find the three men sitting there silently. She froze as she looked to Lory who was staring at the TV, a drama from one of the younger LME actors was playing, and then to Kuon who had his head bowed and Kuu who kept looking at his son and acting as if Kuon didn't know he was doing so.

"Umm, I've served lunch," she said and Kuon gave a weak smile.

"I'm looking forward to it," Lory told her, "Your food is always amazing Kyoko. I remember that Thank You party that you threw at the end of your first year at the agency. I was beyond impressed with the level of mastery you had then and I expect this to be no different," he said as Kyoko tensed. She really had just cooked a simple soup but one large enough so they could have some and it would satisfy Kuu.

"How about it?" the older actor asked as he turned to his son, "You feel like eating?"

"No…" Kuon replied in a soft voice, "but I'll try a little."

"Good boy," Lory said and Kuu placed a hand on Kuon's shoulder. Kuon turned to his dad who offered him a supportive smile. It was beyond obvious how concerned Kuu was with this situation. He could understand that Kuon was slowly getting better but he wasn't even in good shape yet and he worried about leaving his two children.

"Whatever you don't want to eat then I-"

"Dad, you'll get plenty," Kuon attempted to joke but his voice was weak. He stood and went with Kyoko into the dining room. He turned to his father and the man who had become a father figure with his own dad's absence. "It looks good," he said as Kyoko sat next to him and squeezed his hand.

Half way through eating, Lory pointed to Kuon and cleared his throat. "I've got a task for you."

Kuon stared at him before shaking his head, "I'm sorry. I've retired from acting," he said as he looked down and Kuu put down the very large bowl he was eating from.

"What?" he asked as he stared at his son in complete shock and bewilderment. "You've -"

"Retired from acting," Kuon repeated without hesitation. "You don't go around killing people and still get to work in a job that you love. I was responsible for a death. Accidental or not, someone died because of me."

Lory coughed and smiled softly, "Aha, at least now you're admitting that it was accidental."

Kuon coughed, "Well, I never intended to end the boy's life. I wouldn't do something like that even to someone who I hate or has caused me great pain, no, human life is precious. I'm just cursed to create its unhappiness."

Kuu continued to stare at his son in disbelief whilst Kyoko and Lory nodded, having expected this sort of a response.

"Anyway, it's not a task that requires acting although you might want to use a little of it, your choice," he said and Kuon looked at him in a state of complete exhaustion and sighed. "I want you to speak at a middle school assembly."

"The boy's school?" Kuon asked as Kuu and Kyoko kept looking between the two of them, neither having expected that that was what Lory was planning. Kuon tensed as Lory nodded. He'd feel like a criminal walking into that school, seeing the grieving students, the friends of the boy who had lost his life. Still, maybe this would help those students get closure and he really felt that he had needed at least a little support when Rick had died, instead he had blamed himself and ran away. "I can't go like this," he said as he pushed a shaking hand through his hair.

"Well, I'll have Jelly ready whenever you need her to be," Lory said and Kuon closed his eyes.

"There's something I need to have with me when I go though," he said already having decided this was the least that he could do for those connected to the boy. He turned to Kyoko, "Can you come with me?" he asked and Kyoko nodded immediately.

"Yes. Yes, I can come. We can go and do it together," she tried to say supportively before there was a knock at the door. Kyoko's back straightened. "Let me go and answer that," she said but Kuon stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let me, okay. You've worked hard making this meal for us, princess. You shouldn't work too hard. I'll do the dishes as well, okay?" he asked and Kyoko nodded although she was still slightly tense.

Kuon took deep breaths in before checking who was at the door. He smiled softly as he saw Yashiro with Aurora in his arms, they had come back early. He reached for the door. If someone really needed to speak with him then there would be someone who could spend a little time with Aurora. Kuon opened the door and smiled to his best friend.

"Hey," he said as Yashiro blinked in surprise.

"You're…looking upright and better. Yes, better, although with the beard you still don't look like yourself," he said before turning to look at Aurora. "We were at the park but she just wasn't having a good time."

"Daddy" Aurora sniffled and Kuon nodded.

"Here, let me take her," he said as he took the three-year-old girl out of Yashiro's arms and to his chest. Aurora grabbed hold of him and Yashiro set the backpack for the day at the door. Kuon listened to Aurora start crying again and his eyes showed his guilt and sympathy towards the little girl.

"Thanks, Yashiro," he said before walking to the lounge with Aurora in his arms. He sat down with her on the sofa and let her lie down whilst using his leg as a pillow. Kuon very gently let his fingers slide through her soft brown hair. "Did you have a bad dream, my little princess?" he asked her and she grabbed to his hand and turned so she had her face pressed into his pants.

"Daddy stay," she sobbed and Kuon pulled her closer to him. "Daddy don't go!" she yelled in her sleep and Kuon watched her. Even though she wasn't quite four yet, she was so mature for her age, so intelligent and beautiful like her mother. He was surrounded by these two extraordinary women who each loved him so much and he didn't want to let either of them down.

"Daddy's here," Kuon whispered without knowing he was being watched by Kyoko. "I'm sorry I haven't been myself lately, sweetheart. I do love you more than I can express with words." He moved her again so he could hug her and then found her to move in his hold.

"Daddy?" Aurora asked before throwing her arms around his neck. "Daddy?"

"Daddy's here," Kuon told her as he kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry. I've been missing our playdates recently, haven't I? I'm sure that mommy is a lot more fun than -"

"I love playing with Daddy" Aurora argued. "We play and we draw and we go to the park and see fishies and animals and and and -"

"I know," Kuon nodded. "I like doing those things with you. I've missed doing those things as well. What about if we look through one of your nature books today, I can read to you and we can look at the pictures of the animals together."

Aurora nodded excitedly and Kuon pulled her closer to him. Kyoko took a step into the room as she watched the two of them together. Kuon still had a long road before him of healing and acceptance but she was happy to see him taking these steps so that he could be the father Aurora knew him to be. He was an amazing father and it was beyond obvious that she and Aurora were Kuon's biggest priorities.

"What book would you like?" Kuon asked and Aurora grinned.

"Chickens?" she asked with bright shining eyes and Kuon nodded. "Daddy loves the chicken book."

"Daddy does love the chicken book," Kyoko smiled as she sat down on the chair with a grin. "Can Mommy come to hear Daddy read that book as well. Daddy always reads so enthusiastically and with such talent and with silly voices too."

"Yeah" Aurora laughed as she tried to rub her face with her sleeve but Kuon grabbed a handkerchief and softly cleaned her face for her. "Yeah. Thank you, Daddy," she grinned as Kuon put the handkerchief in his pocket.

"You know, Daddy is the best storyteller ever," Kyoko said as Kuon shook his head. "He told Mommy all about the fairy kingdom and that there was a Princess Rosa and lots of other stories that only Daddy knows. That's why he's a great actor."

Kuon turned to her before stiffly taking a deep breath in and nodding, he didn't say anything but Kyoko could tell that he felt guilty about acting. He felt guilty about obviously wanting to act and be known as an actor but feeling that he took someone else's dream away from them. Hopefully she could help him see that he shouldn't deny doing the things that he loves as well.

"Yeah, I love you, Daddy," Aurora said as she curled up closer to him with a handful of his shirt in her hands. She looked up at her mother before closing her eyes with a smile. Kyoko came and sat next to the two of them.

"You know, you shouldn't lift her since your arm is still healing," she said and Kuon nodded. "But I'll pretend that I didn't see that this time."

Kuon sighed and then noticed a shift in Aurora's body language as she really did fall asleep on top of him. "Can I ask you whether Maiko-san did suggest me being committed?"

Kyoko sighed and looked at him wanting to change the subject. "You know that I'd never let her take you from me," she said before kissing Kuon's lips. "You're my emperor, my prince, my knight in shining armor. It would be horrible to imagine you anywhere but here."

"You know," Kuon said as he stared forward, "I have excellent hearing," he turned to Kyoko. "Is he going to be okay? Nakama?" Kyoko's eyes widened as she realized that he knew but he hadn't gone backwards, still the guilt was probably sinking in on that as well. "I'd like to talk with him. I know what he's going through. I just don't think that more people should die from this tragedy, including myself." Kuon sighed, "Does that sound selfish to you, princess?"

"Not selfish at all," Kyoko smiled as she looked at her daughter and then at her husband. "Let's just sit like this for a little bit and then we can go and talk to our guests, okay?" she asked as she kissed his hairy cheek. "I love you Kuon."

"Love you too," he said with a weak smile appreciating this moment of family even if it was only a brief moment.

4.2

Kyoko snuggled into the blankets as she watched Kuon. She knew that his sleeping hadn't been regular since the accident but hopefully he was healing. His eyes were closed and he wasn't shaking again. She watched him as she started to fall asleep and laughed at the collection of sheep pillows he had. Maybe it didn't fit Ren Tsuruga's image that he was holding onto one of them and had two beneath his head but she always appreciated how important they were to him.

Maybe somehow, despite not getting something she thought would be Tsuruga-san-worthy, she knew even then that he was special and had a secret sweet side to him who adored nature and animals. They had somehow both gotten their way when it came to Aurora's name. She was a princess and a natural star, of course their daughter would be like that.

As she watched him, her eyes started to close and she smiled as she wrapped her arms around him slowly. He usually would hold her protectively whilst she slept but she liked holding him as well. Corn had always been special to her but when she had learned the truth, that Corn had been Ren who was actually named Kuon, well that made it even more special to her.

Kyoko felt her back hit the floor as she found herself on the floor of their bedroom only a few hours later. She stared at Kuon who was panicking, and hyperventilating. She looked at him again and his frozen expression. He was pushing his hands through his hair and shaking.

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Kyoko don't, please, Kyoko, Kyoko," he said before beginning to sob more. Kyoko stared at him before immediately getting onto her feet and went to turn the light on. She could see that Kuon had scratched himself with his fingernails and he looked like he was She came and knelt opposite him almost straddling him and placed a hand on each of his cheeks. "Kyoko."

"Corn, I'm here, look at me," she said as she gazed into those emerald eyes she had always loved since she was a kid. She saw him break down and felt him pull her closer to him. She repositioned herself so that she could just hug him whilst he trembled and shook and cried. Yes, he was crying. The wet spots on the back of her neck told her that he was crying. "Corn," she breathed gently before kissing him affectionately and just whispered, "I love you. I love you. I love you."

"You're…." Kuon said as he finally managed to come back to reality. He turned from her and let her go but Kyoko still held onto him tightly. "You're alive. I'm sorry. I just…I thought that…it was a nightmare."

"I'm here," she whispered.

"I thought that I killed you. I thought that I was punished, that I had to drive a car and you were there and you weren't moving and I drove into you because I couldn't turn and,…and…" he shivered again before pulling away from her and Kyoko watched him nervously. She heard a sobbing sound but Kuon had brought his hand to his face.

"Corn, it was just a nightmare. I'm here. I'm tough. Have you ever thought of me as someone who would allow themselves to be frozen, I'm definitely more resourceful than that, you know I have more confidence to challenge anyone and I'm sorry but my perseverance and guts are some of my most well-known traits," she tried to remind him and heard him laugh before he covered his face again.

"Kuon," Kyoko said as she got up and followed to where he was now standing. "Kuon, can you look at me?"

"I don't want to scare you. I'll be able to look at you in a moment, I promise," he told her and Kyoko moved forwards, she tried to look into his eyes but he turned from her again. "I don't want you to know that I've been crying. It's not manly if -"

"I don't care if it's manly or not, I love you," she told him. "And are you saying it's okay only for me to cry. I want to help you. We're a team. You kept promising me that we were a team when we started dating and especially when we were engaged. So, I want to know if you cry because I love you and I love that side of you."

Kuon turned to her and with how red and watery his eyes were it was obvious he had been crying again. Kyoko placed a loving hand on his cheek before letting her fingertips go under his eye to catch some of the tears. "I married a gorgeous man," she told him. "And your teardrops are also gorgeous and should be treasured because they prove that you have a heart. I didn't marry you because you're a great actor or you were my role model. I didn't marry you because you played with me as a child and let me vent. I didn't marry you because of your bad boy past. I married each and every one of you because I love you and because I know you love me and because I know that you cry for me. I'm happy that you cry for me, Kuon because it's real and you're real and I love you for that."

"Thank you, Princess," he told her as he held her and she pressed her face into his chest. She just wanted to be the one who could hold him if he cried. Tears could be beautiful. To her, anything Kuon was just beautiful and special and treasurable.

End of Chapter Five

Thank you for reading

Thank you to those who left a review on Chapter Four

H-Nala