A/N: I do not own Skip Beat.
I was asked to do a reaction to the sinfully delightful picture of Ren that was recently released. It's a one-shot, so hopefully, it satisfies everyone's thirst because I'm not planning any more for this.
So please enjoy and don't drool too much.
She should have known from the moment that she woke up that today was going to be a bad day. It was abnormally hot in the middle July and the humidity was killing everyone. Kyoko woke up with all of her blankets kicked off and already feeling the heat beating back the AC. Adding to that, she slept on her pillow wrong and she developed a painful stiffness in her neck.
It didn't seem to get much better when she stepped downstairs. Both of the owners were scrambling about with about half a dozen fans on to keep the eating area cool. They had to battle not only the heat from outside but the heat from the kitchen as well. She came down in basic shorts and a tee to find the Okami-san looking deeply into their walk-in fridge.
"Good morning," she greeted the older woman who turned around with a little jump.
"Kyoko-chan," she sighed and gave her a small smile. "Good morning. Um, Breakfast is in the living room," she mentioned, returning her attention to the task.
"Ah, thank you," Kyoko said but hesitated. "Is… everything okay?"
She looked back up and set down a bin of peppers to the side. "Ah, yes. Well," she let out a breath and turned to look fully at Kyoko. "It seems like we lost an entire shipment of green onions."
Kyoko's eyes widened as the Okami-san continued, "We have the record of receiving it, and he recalls putting it away and even taking from it, but it was empty this morning. So, I'm looking through everything to see if we simply misplaced them."
"I can help. Did you already look upfront?" Kyoko offered.
"Yes, but…" she shook her head. "No, you should go eat. I'm almost done here." The older woman shooed Kyoko out.
Breakfast was simple but delicious. She did not turn on the TV while she ate. The morning news has not been pleasant for the last few months to the point that calm silence was preferable. She did check her emails, saw a message from Yukihito updating her on tomorrow's schedule. There was a text from Ren which instantly put a smile on her face – not that she noticed. He sent it over an hour ago wishing her a good morning and asking how the filming went yesterday. Her meal was spent thinking about how to respond and forcing herself not to write a book about Momiji's fight scene yesterday.
The text was about two and a half text long once she was done and she hesitated pushing the send on the last. But if I don't, it will be unfinished so… She cringed and pushed the button. Her face burned as she forced the phone down. Since Ren did not reply to the first message, she assumed he was working and had his phone off or on silent. Once her meal was finished, she gathered all the dishes up to clean them. The Taisho and Okami had their heads together over some ledgers. They were speaking in hushed tones and were flipping through their book.
"Did you find them?" Kyoko asked.
The Okami-san looked up with a tight smile and a shake of her head. "No. We were just going through the books, but the fact is we don't have anymore. We'll have to pick some up for service today." She turned to her husband. "Do you think Sato-san could deliver the next shipment early?"
He considered it and gave a non-committal motion. He walked over and picked up the phone. He disappeared into the kitchen. Kyoko could see him tending to the food as he spoke to Sato. He was a wholesale vendor they worked with, but all his goods were usually allocated to other customers.
"Don't look so worried," the Okami-san touched her hand softly and gave her a smile. "It's not a big deal. If Sato-san can't help, then we will go buy a bunch at the store. It's not cost-efficient but it happens. We are merely trying to understand why we were short this time. We plan our deliveries to the day, you know."
Kyoko smiled and nodded. The Taisho came back and shook his head. Kyoko instantly volunteered, "I can go get some at the store."
Taisho shook his head as his wife spoke, "We can't ask you do to that. You are very busy these days. If you have today off, you should take advantage of it."
"No, it's okay! It's not a day off per se. I simply do not have much to do. Hiromune-san is doing another project so I'm not filming. I have plans with Maria-chan but it isn't till later," she explained. "I can go get the onions while you two continue to prep."
They looked at her for a moment and then finally caved and nodded. She smiled brightly. They gave her money for what they would need for the day and she took off on her bike with a container strapped to the back eager to be filled. She did not want to go too fast and start sweating. There was no breeze to help her out today and had to make her own to counter the weather. The traffic was normal until she turned down the block where the grocery store was. Things got more condensed as the foot traffic thickened around the storefronts lining the street.
Actually, the bookstore seemed to be especially busy as Kyoko carefully rode around the groups of people traversing directly there. The mass majority of the group were girls of various ages. However, she didn't want to assume anything. It's not like she slowed down to check the group. But the group had this distinct feeling of fangirls. The irritating little buzz fluttered in the back of her brain and she peddled a little faster past the large group towards her goal. It wasn't long when she rolled up to the store a little faster than expected. She braked too hard and had to apologize to a few people around.
Stop thinking about it, Kyoko. You have no proof of anything. It's nothing.
The moment she stepped inside the grocery store, she saw another large group of people at the magazine stands. There was even a small group of girls that were on a bench. Concern filled her as one was fanning another who looks unconscious. Hopefully, they called for help… Shaking her head, Kyoko took a sharp right turn to another direction.
What if it's another picture of them?
Picking up a small hand basket, Kyoko maneuvered through the crowd to get to the produce section.
Did they even go out last night?
She shook her head and forced her eyes to rake over the greens to find the green onions.
What did they do?
Once found, her hands quickly started filling up her basket.
Were they holding hands? Were they caught in a loving embrace?
A lump formed in her throat and she quickly swallowed it. Her head struggled to focus as she mindlessly put bundles of green onions from the shelf into her basket.
Maybe it's a kiss?
Her hand hit the empty bin and she blinked. A single tear fell down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. Twisting on the ball of her foot, she stormed off to the checkout. It's not about him and if it was, it's not real. It's all fake. Acting. Just Acting. They are acting.
She put the basket down with a little more force than necessary and the clerk looked at her oddly. Especially after seeing what she was buying.
"It's for a restaurant. We ran out," Kyoko quickly explained and the checker started to count out the bundles without a comment. She grabbed more than was necessary and had to put some back. No need to be spending the restaurant's money foolishly. She left the building keeping her head down and walking fast to her bike.
She was carefully packing away her purchase when a commotion caught her attention. Several screams erupted down the street. She looked up and saw a small group of young women holding on to a magazine. They both wanted it. Their screams said something about how one ruined the others, and it was sold out. They were angrily yelling at each other and then finally the magazine ripped before either of them lost their grip. One of them lunged after the other and then finally the crowd got too thick to see or hear anything.
What did they do to cause this?!
Kyoko had unconsciously taken out her phone. She glanced down at her hand and saw that there were no new messages. Biting her lip, she fought herself. Curiosity plagued her mind and worry knotted her stomach.
"It's nothing," she told herself and finished up.
The next few hours were spent helping the restaurant prepare for the day. Working in the kitchen helped keep her mind off of things. It wasn't too long when the whispers in her head disappeared. When it came close to opening, she excused herself and went upstairs to change for her date with Maria. They were going to plan her gift for her father's birthday together. Maria was making all the plans and then later today they would work on making a cake together at Takarada's mansion. She put on a fun outfit of camo printed short overalls and a tight white T-shirt with white tennis shoes. As she snapped the overalls on, her phone dinged.
Stepping over, she picked it up and smiled. 1 message. As she started to pull up the message, another message came up and Ren's name came up.
Tsuruga Ren: Hi, sorry it took so long to reply. I'm just heading out now. It sounds like the scene went especially well. Did you struggle with the ambush? You mentioned before that it would be difficult to accomplish but you didn't mention it in your text.
Tsuruga Ren: Considering the rest of your message, I'm thinking you did great. Yashiro-san said you weren't shooting anything. What are you doing today? Working at the restaurant or at LoveMe?
Kyoko sat down and instantly replied. I'm actually doing both! I helped prep for the day and I'm heading to LME now.
A moment after sending the text, her phone rang. It was Ren.
"Hi," his smooth voice filtered through the phone and made Kyoko grin.
"Hi," she answered timidly. "I'm guessing you are on a break?"
"I'm in the car traveling," he stated, and then she suddenly heard Yashiro's voice yell out, "Hi Kyoko-chan!"
She softly giggled and said hi to their shared manager to Ren. "We are about 5-10 minutes away from your place. Do you want a ride?"
Her back straightened up a little surprised. "Are you heading there too?"
"Ah…. Nooo," he drawled knowing that she wouldn't like that.
Instead of instantly saying no, she asked, "Where are you going then?"
"I'm heading to an interview across town," he said honestly.
Kyoko bit her lip and willed herself to say yes, but it was in vain. "Thank you for the offer but it is not necessary."
He groaned softly. "We have time for a slight detour. Right, Yashiro?" He yelled and it sounded distant over the phone. Yashiro's voice came up, "It's an informal interview, so yeah we can pick you up."
Ren's voice came back clearly. "See, are you ready? We can be there in a few."
"Tsuruga-san, no. I'm not working today. Yashiro-san has no reason to pick me up while he is busy trying to keep you in line. I'm meeting Maria there."
He sighed. "Alright, you win," he conceded and conveyed the message to Yukihito. "Tell me about the scene again."
"I thought I already did."
She could hear him smile over the phone. "Yeah, but you held back. Tell me everything."
Kyoko couldn't help the smile on her face while speaking with him. Without any filter, she recounted yesterday's events, and it lasted much longer than expected because of his input and comments. She overheard Yukihito say they arrived during a lull in their conversation and felt her bubble deflate a little.
"Ah, I guess you have to go."
"Hmm," he hummed in thought. "I've got time. Especially since we didn't have to pick up a certain someone."
"You're welcome," she grinned, making him chuckle. She bit her lip nervously and softly asked, "What did you do yesterday?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary. I was on set most of the day, had dinner out, and then went home," he answered. That didn't tell her anything. He could have gone out with Kana last night. He could have gone out with just about anyone with that sort of answer. The key is that he had dinner, so it wasn't by his choice. She wanted to ask more but didn't want him to question why she was being so nosy. So, she pressed her lips together and chose not to prompt further. Truthfully, she didn't want to know the answer and there was no use fishing for it if it was something she didn't want any part of.
They spoke for a few moments more and then said their goodbyes. Kyoko took a deep breath and forced a smile on her face. Doubt filled the cracks of her heart but her mind was trying to tell her that it was only her imagination. There was no proof. It was nothing but her own insecurities. She hung her head with a sigh and rubbed the back of her neck. It still hurt and that little distraction got her moving to go to LME.
Unfortunately, the chaos from this morning did not die down. The trip to LME was longer and she saw so many people crowding bookstores, small newsstands, and anywhere they might sell this sold-out magazine. Worse of all, there were small groups of people all clumped together talking and she distinctly heard his name coming from their lips. When Kyoko hit a roadblock, she purposely stopped by a group of girls to wait for traffic and eavesdropped.
"Can you believe this?!"
"It's too much."
"He is gorgeous!"
"I love you, Ren-sama!"
Kyoko flushed at their words as they continued. She smiled a little when not once did they ever say Kana's name in any form. There wasn't a single reference of anyone else but Ren. Her mood lightened up at the same time as theirs went dark.
"I'm so jealous!"
"I can't believe you got the last one!"
"Let me have a turn!"
"No, you'll ruin it!"
"Just hold it up and let us look."
"Give it!"
The car beside her started to move and she knew she had to go. Their fan chanting turned to fighting as she left. A selfish sense of satisfaction came over her now that she knew it had nothing to do with Kana and was simply about Ren. The rest of the ride was better but the book stores looked more tempting now. She passed by a streetside stand and saw a large SOLD OUT sign on one of the spots. Considering how everyone was acting, she assumed it was his.
Was he on the cover? Was there a photo spread of him? Did he ever mention being featured for something? She thought as she rode on. LME was around the corner and….
What the….
Kyoko stopped once LME was in full view because of the massive swarms of people at the front of the building. Okay, this is insane. This is too much. Frowning, she hopped off her bike and looked around. The bike rack was even swallowed by the crowd. She walked her bike to the side and saw a few more girls run towards the crowd with magazines in their hands. Kyoko watched them, they were all holding it up, and it was open to some page within. She managed to see the light-colored figure on it and assumed it was Ren, but they were moving so much that it was difficult what they were obsessing about.
LME was out of the picture today, but this was where she was going to meet with Maria. Taking out her phone, she found a somewhat quiet spot outside and called her.
"Onee-sama!"
Kyoko smiled sweetly at the sound of her voice. "Hi, Maria-chan. I wanted to talk to you about today. I don't think we can meet up at LME. Are we going anywhere besides your home for the cake? I was thinking of taking a cab straight there."
"But I'm already here," she stated and went on before Kyoko could respond. "Grandfather had to come in early so I've been here since six. Is this because of Ren-sama's stupid fans?"
Kyoko flinched at Maria's tone. "So it is about him," she murmured falling into thought.
The cynical little girl sighed. "Grandfather has the east side blocked off for everyone to come in. Make sure you have your badge out so security can get you through without them trying to sneak in. Also, take the long way around, we've had some employees get hurt by the group."
"Are you serious?" Kyoko asked unbelievably.
"Why does no one believe me about Ren-sama's fans? I hear the things they say about him. They are all crazy like that. That's why I chase them away every time they manage to get close. Ren-sama is worth getting in trouble for."
Subconsciously, Kyoko agreed with a little smile on her lips.
"Onee-sama, I need to go," Maria started to whisper in a hushed tone. "I'm actually not supposed to be on the phone right now."
"Oh okay, let me know when you are ready for our day." They quickly said their goodbyes and hung up. Kyoko watched the mob for a few moments longer. They were screaming his name over and over and got overly excited at the slight image of a man who could possibly be Ren walking across any window. They all clutched their printed pictures of him and prayed for the chance to see him. It made her feel a little sick as she too clung to those kinds of dreams for a man. As curious as she was about it, watching all this made her reel back her interest in it. She'll get the see the magazine once it was restocked.
Kyoko had to walk down a little bit to chain up her bike and as Maria suggested, she took a long way around the building to get to the east side. The security team looked different from the normal group she saw every day. It seemed like Takarada had to hire a third-party security crew for today. They immediately stopped her when they saw a young girl trying to enter the building. Some of her old grudge demons threaten to come out as the irritation of being mistaken as an insane fangirl came creeping back, but she held her tongue and waited patiently while they verified her employment.
The crowd did not look any nicer inside the building. The screaming girls tested the security team, seeking out weak links but were no real threat. Especially since their target wasn't even in the building. No doubt he was warned not to come in today.
Kyoko dismissed it and headed to the love me room. Since Maria was here, there was no point in leaving. She hoped that no one would ask her to do anything with the crazed fans today. The crick in her neck was really bothering her and she rubbed it slightly, rotating her shoulder to try and ease the stiffness but to no avail.
There weren't any open tasks left in the room, but she still suited up and walked around. No one really asked her to do anything though. One secretary wanted help carrying up files from one floor to the next. Then she spent some extra time helping her sort and put things away. Yet the moment they ended up talking about the chaos outside, Kyoko wanted to leave.
"You know I get why they are acting that way, but it's not like they have anything to gain by storming the place," she rambled as she filed while Kyoko held the box. "What are they going to do if he does come in? They will barely get a glimpse of him let alone touch him or anything else that they are probably thinking of."
Kyoko politely agreed and listened, though she was getting uncomfortable.
"I work here and I never see him," she said almost exasperated, and then quickly added defensively, "Not that I am working here for him or anyone famous. I'm not! But you know, who doesn't like to see a handsome man?" She smiled with a bashful but guilty expression. She pilled more files out of the box while speaking, "Especially, Tsuruga-san." She sighed with a dreamy expression looking up and flushed slightly. Kyoko glared at her and wished she would hurry the hell up.
"No," she went on taking the last bundle of files from the box. "I think we should simply be happy with what we've been given, take that picture, pin it to our bedroom wall and…" she waved her hand in the air with a knowing little smile.
The files thumped into place and Kyoko rudely spoke up, "Will that be all, Iruma-san?"
"Oh, yes. Thank you, Kyoko-chan." The worker smiled happily, thinking she did no wrong. Kyoko bowed and quickly left wishing that she had a box of spiders to drop at her feet. With that conversation alone, Kyoko understood and could even justify Maria's actions towards those that approached Ren. She went back to the elevator intending to take off the jumpsuit. She was not feeling magnanimous enough to continue doing LoveMe work today.
She stepped into an empty elevator and started to rotate her neck. Groaning, her head dropped down to stretch along her spine. Again, she lifted her hand up to try and alleviate the pain. The elevator ding but she did not look up, merely stepped to the side to allow the passengers to come in.
"Are you alright?"
Kyoko gasped and jerked her head up. The motion did make her tense a bit, but Ren stepped into the small room and didn't bother pressing a button. He looked at her in concern, his eyes at her neck, and she dropped her hand.
"Ah, yes, well, I think I slept wrong last night and you know how those kinds of things simply ache all day after that, but I'm fine," she dismissed her woes and quickly redirected her anxieties towards him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were at an interview across town. You shouldn't be here."
"I'm hurt, Mogami-san. Are you really that upset seeing me today?"
She flushed but stood her ground. "My feelings are not important right now. You are at risk of being dismembered if you are seen!"
He snorted and the elevator dinged their arrival. "That is a little extreme, don't you think?" He stepped to the side to hold the door and gave her room to walk out first. Pressing her lips together, she stubbornly started to walk out but he leaned down and stopped her.
"And your feelings are always important," he whispered softly to her, causing her face to heat up.
Kyoko ducked through and started to walk to the LoveMe room with Ren casually walking along with her. She cleared her throat. "It's not that I'm not happy to see you, but I really didn't think that I would. That's all. Especially with what is going on right now."
"Hmm, yes. All of that is rather inconvenient. Sorry."
She giggled softly. "Why are you apologizing?"
A light blush colored his cheeks as he looked away. Kyoko's smile grew bigger because he seemed actually embarrassed by what was happening. "Because they are my fans," he softly murmured.
"Ooooh," she said as if she didn't already know. "Is that why they were screaming, "REN! We LoVe yOu!" He snorted and shook his head. He gave her one of his natural smiles and it warmed her heart. "So then, you are here because?"
"PR wanted to get together to talk about how to deal with the people. I have a meeting with them in 30 minutes," he explained.
"But PR is not on this floor," she mentioned again making his lips stretch.
"I was told to hide, and what better place than…"
"The LoveMe Room," they said in unison.
Once they reached their destination, he stepped up to open the door for her. It was empty and it seemed that she was the only one stupid enough to come in today. Even if Kanae and Chiori did make plans to come in, no doubt they turned tail and ran the moment they saw the commotion. He sat down on the couch and she went to her locker. She had to take off her overalls to put on her jumpsuit but there was a bathroom connected to the locker room, so she took out her item.
"I'm going to change and be right back, okay?" She pointed to the bathroom as she said it and he looked and then nodded. It wasn't like it was unusual to change clothes with him in the next room. Being the Heels caused her to get over that, but knowing he was out there made her a little jumpy. She finished changing in under a minute.
Ren looked up at her with an easy smile when she reappeared, making her heart skip. Her hands clenched the pink cloth in her hand as she stepped past him to her locker. She could feel his eyes following her every step of the way and it made her jittery.
"Are you doing anything else today?" She asked trying to break the silence.
"I'm not sure anymore. The reaction to the article caused my afternoon session to be canceled. Once we have this meeting, I might need to do a press release or something to address it. I knew that once the issue was published, it would cause some trouble but not to this degree."
She raised an eyebrow and glanced over at him as she hung up her jumper. "Really? So then you did it on purpose?"
"Yes, I agreed and consented to the idea when it was brought up to me."
She pressed her lips together and nodded slowly as if thinking, pretending to know what it was that he was talking about was taxing. But really, she had no idea and struggled to ask him about it. Kyoko closed her locker and idly walked over to sit next to him. "Considering you've done these kinds of things before; it is actually surprising how the public is taking it."
Ren twisted in the seat to face her, pulling his knee up and his arm bent over the top of the couch to prop his head. He studied her for a moment and determined something before speaking, "I've never done anything like that before."
Her mouth went dry knowing he was suspicious. "Really? I mean, it's um…"
"Mogami-san, did you see the article?"
She flushed and opened her mouth to respond when the door opened. Maria came in dressed for the summer day and had a backpack over her shoulders. She was smiling when she first entered and then it fell into an angry frown when she saw Ren.
Thankful for the distraction, Kyoko cheered, "Maria-chan, are you all done?"
The little girl smoothed her face into a cautious one and walked over to Kyoko. "Yes. Grandfather has a car waiting for us, so we can go now."
"Maria-chan, aren't you going to say hi to me?" Ren asked, seeing that he was being ignored by the normally exuberant child.
She suddenly turned her back to Ren, crossed her arms over her chest, and huffed, "I'm not talking to you!"
Both Kyoko and Ren looked at each other in shock. Ren licked his lips and took a breath to ask, "Why? Did I do something wrong?"
Maria just as quickly turned around and scoffed, "As if you don't know!"
Looking innocent, he shook his head. "I don't. If I did something to offend you or maybe I forgot something I promised you? Please let me make it up to you."
Her arms shot down to her side and her little fist shook in rage. "You took those pictures! You let people see things that are not meant to be seen by anyone other than on our wedding night!"
Kyoko's face instantly turned beet red and she quickly chimed in to try to clear the misunderstanding, "Maria-chan, I think you are mistaking something. Tsuruga-san may show some skin but it is not indecent. They are simply a little provocative."
Maria barked out a laugh. "Some! Skin?" She swung her backpack around and plopped it between them. Ren shifted back slightly as she jerked it open and pulled out the sold-out highly desired magazine. "Some skin, eh?" She repeated as she flipped through the book to the right page.
"Maria," Ren warned but it was too late.
Maria found the page quickly and jerked open the centerfold page to Kyoko's naïve eyes.
The gasp from her lips was loud and filled the quiet room. Her eyes widened and her hand jumped to her mouth in shock. Once her mind registered what was in front of her, she quickly snatched the magazine and hid it. "Why do you have this?! You shouldn't be looking at this."
"Thank you!" Maria said as if she was justified while Kyoko hugged the picture to her body to keep it from view. Her face was inflamed, and she looked at it for less than a minute. "Of course, I got it. Grandfather reserved a copy of it for me because I knew Ren-sama was going to be on it, but then this is in it, and the whole world now knows what he looks like naked."
"Maria!" Kyoko cried out at the same time as Ren bellowed; however, he continued, "That is enough. First off, I was not naked in any of the pictures. Never mind censorship, it is not something I would ever agree with. Second, you, young lady, are not going to shame me for my choices. I…"
Kyoko's heart was slowly making her deaf as she hugged the magazine to her chest. The pounding escalated until it filled her chest and then her ears. She was overwhelmed. It was really too fast to take it in but what she saw…. What he did…. She gulped, pressed her lips together, and slowly, timidly started to pull the magazine back to look again while Ren lectured Maria.
Her breath hitched at the picture that graced her eyes. Ren – the man she unwillingly fell in love with - was looking out of the page with a soft version of the emperor. He looked so handsome and sincere, and yet he hinted at something so sinful. He was laying on his side reaching out to the viewer wearing nothing but warm bedroom eyes and a soft loving smile. There was literally nothing on his body and one could even see… Kyoko looked away from what she was seeing.
She heard them arguing but was not listening. Maria said something about private and waiting till marriage. Ren was trying to get a word in and not simply dismiss what she was saying with the 'I'm an Adult' card. It was all fuzzy because the blood in her body was rushing to her head and to other places she dared not acknowledge. She looked back down then immediately closed her eyes and took a few short breaths.
When they reopened, they were on his face. His brown hair falling softly across his face and on the pillow. His soft brown eyes looked at you as he beckoned you over. That soft expression and his out-reached arm asking you to please join him. She licked her lips as the urge to kiss him filled her. Her heart's mind filmed in her thoughts like a movie. His hands would reach out and rake through her hair sending shivers down her spine. She would snuggle in closer. His large warm hand would stroke down her back as she pressed her body against his hot smooth flesh.
Her hands tingled as she remembered how he felt. That soft skin over hard flesh. The memory of her undressing him as Setsuka filled her entire being. Mesmerized by the picture in front of her, all she could think about was her hands touching that bared body, his arms enveloping around her and tightly hugging her close to him. Her heart slammed within her chest as she lifted her lips. Those heated brown eyes of his looking at her – desiring her as the sweet heat of his lips finally pressed against hers.
Meanwhile, Ren groaned and shook his head as he closed the door behind Maria, giving him some peace in the LoveMe room with Kyoko. He frowned thinking about all the things she said, things that no child should ever be saying, let alone to a fully grown man. She is around too many adult things. It reminded him of himself, which only made his heart weight heavier. He did not want Maria going through the same troubles he had in his life. However, she was not pursuing a career in entertainment. Being around it may make her grow up faster, but perhaps she won't be involved in it. He pressed his lips together and sent out a little prayer hoping that was enough.
He looked up into the quiet room to see how Kyoko was doing. She was currently staring at the picture, eyes wide and her hand was loosely curled over her mouth. She looked stunned and her face was bright red, but otherwise, she didn't look disgusted or angry like Maria. He leaned against the door and watched her waiting for her to see that they were alone or start talking to him about the shoot, but she didn't. She simply sat there breathing a little hard staring at his picture.
A small little ember sparked in his heart as he watched her. A twitch of his lips threatened into a smile as a whisper of an idea fluttered through his mind. Does she like it? Does she like it like the women outside do?
He immediately tried to smoother the idea. This was Kyoko. Kyoko who was the advocate of a pure maiden's heart and was upset about a kiss on the cheek as a thank you. There was no way her thoughts resembled anything like his.
"Mogami-san," he called out to her but maybe did not hear him. Because she didn't look up at the picture to him. He took a single step forward and her hand slowly dropped from her mouth and her fingertips lightly touched the picture as if afraid to touch it. To touch me? He looked at her face and she was lightly biting her lower lip.
His mouth suddenly went dry and that little ember started to glow brighter. Was that desire? I always hoped, but wishing and seeing, I'm not sure I can handle that. He stepped back again and leaned against the door. His heart was steadily increasing in pace and he licked his lips to try to speak again.
"Moga…," he started, but she moved unexpectedly. Kyoko closed her eyes and her face burned brighter. Both of her hands reached up and pressed against her cheeks. What is she thinking about? God, please tell me what she is thinking about. He unconsciously moved towards her, as if getting closer would allow him to hear her thoughts. He even sat down without her noticing. He slid his arm along the back of the couch and tenderly looked at her. Whatever she was thinking about called to him in the most primal way. The desire to touch her, to kiss her filled his mind, but instead, he softly called out her name, "Kyoko."
She gasped, jumping from her seat, her hands slammed down on the magazine as it started to slip, and then she looked all around as if awakening from a dream. Ren leaned back as her sight darted around the room, found him, and then squirmed back away from him to the furthest end of the couch. It made his heart hurt.
"Tsu-Tsu-Tsuruga-san," she said breathlessly. Kyoko curled herself into a little ball on the corner of the couch with the magazine crushed in her arms. She looked at him with wild eyes and blushed as their eyes meet. She quickly slammed them closed and her face grew dark red making him smile.
"I didn't mean to scare you," he said softly and slightly shifted forward.
She shook her head a little too much and then flinched as her neck objected. She looked up at him but then quickly looked down again. "I was just surprised. I'm fine," she said in a rush.
"What were you thinking about?" he asked in a soft curious voice and leaned in closer.
"N-n-nothing!" Kyoko squeaked. She hid her face behind her knees and moved the closed magazine in front of her face like a wall. Her reaction made heat rush through him. The ember within him now a flame that was burning bright.
"Mogami-san," he purred and a soft little whimper escaped from behind the 'wall'. "Was it me?" He reached out and touched the top of the magazine where her fingers were. She gasped and started shifting down on the couch to escape. The magazine was lifted further up to cover her face, but she refused to answer.
He groaned knowing that her silence meant it was true. "Do you have any idea how badly I want to kiss you right now?"
She gasped and yelled out, "NO!" Then she twisted to her side, dropping the magazine to the floor and using her arms to hide her face from him.
Ren chuckled and she tightened up. He shifted until her feet touch his thigh and she shifted away. He leaned over her form and softly asked, "Do you want to know a secret?"
She didn't respond but was breathing heavily in her little ball. He leaned in and felt her flinch as his tie fell and touched her arm. His breath blew across her hair as he moved to whisper in her ear, "I was picturing you with me when I shot that."
Ren quickly pulled back as she burst out of her ball, dangerous limbs threatening bodily harm as she exploded off of the couch. She was red, sweaty, and panting out of breath as she rushed away from him.
She moved to the farthest point in the room but did not run out as he expected. Honestly, that did not help things. If she did run away from him, he could have disciplined himself, reprimanded himself for doing such things when he himself was not ready to pursue things with her.
When the editor asked if he was willing to do something more sensual for winning the title of most wanted man again, he immediately thought no. Yet the word caught in his throat, and as they continued to explain what they wanted, all he could think about was Kyoko. The man you most wanted to embrace. They wanted to feed into the idea of being embraced by him. That desire to be held after a night with him in paradise. His desire to be with her and to wake up with Kyoko in his bed, the first thing he would want to do is reach out and hold her. To have that would be bliss.
"Why? Why would you shoot something like that?!"
Her outburst made him mask up with a calm expression. He crossed his legs as he sat up straight. She watched him or at least tried to. Her eyes flickered over at him and then quickly darted away. His smiled widened at each and every failed attempt. He had no idea what was going through her head, but the constant blush and her flustered reaction made it all worth it.
"It sounded good," he answered simply, not giving her a proper response.
She huffed exasperated and rather than trying to look at him, started to pace. "Well, Maria was right! How could you portray yourself in that situation? As if…" she stumbled and tried again, "Like you were doing… and then…" she couldn't say anything beyond that though.
"That was the idea. Since I won the "Man you want to be embraced by" poll again. The picture does capture that thought, don't you think?"
Her face couldn't get any redder. She did not stop her pacing in front of him, could not look at him for longer than a fraction of a second and her fingers were twisting around each other. It was adorable.
She cleared her throat. "Yes, well it does effectively portray a certain expectation."
"Oh," he said with a large grin. "What sort of expectation?"
She stumbled and he fought back the urge to jump up and pull her into his lap. "The one you wanted," she said simply.
"Which is?" He could not stop smiling. He wanted her to say it, to give him a clue to what she was thinking. Oh, if she said anything even remotely close to what he was thinking when he took that picture, he would be in heaven. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward to put more pressure on her. Her eyes flicker to him and away again quickly, and then her arms crossed under her chest tightly.
"Well considering that every magazine sold out upon release, and there are a swarm of fans outside, I would think it was obvious it was a huge success," she retorted as if angry.
"Are you upset with me too?"
"Pfft," she sounded and shook her head. "Why? Why would I be angry? This will help increase your demand significantly."
"And yet you are upset."
"I'm not," she insisted.
"Then why won't you look at me."
His words made her stop pacing and she forced herself to face him. A tight little smile pressed across her lips. He leaned back on the couch and her eyes darted down his body and then back up and her face flushed. "Ugh!"
"Mogami-san, I'm not showing anything indecent. It would be the same if I was shooting a swimsuit ad."
Her eyes tightly closed and she yelled out a little too loudly, "It's not the same!" She took a breath and started to ramble, "You are going out to swim in a swimsuit. You would not be looking at someone with that look in a swimsuit. No, in this, you were in bed and made to look like you weren't wearing anything. You took that picture with the intent to make everyone think of one thing!"
"And what is that?"
"JOIN ME!" She screamed with her fists tight at her side. "It's bad enough that I have to see you out dating some other woman knowing how you feel and now this is out there for the world to see when you told me it was mine!"
She gasped as she voiced out her thoughts. It was not something she was ever going to say. She turned her foot and started to race out the door, but of course, she could never escape him. Before her hand could reach the door, he came up from behind and stopped her. His arms wrapped around her almost lifting her off the ground.
"Let me go," she commanded but he hugged her tighter.
"You know those dates don't mean anything," he defended as she struggled. "I told you why I agreed to do this. It's as much for her as it is for us."
She broke away from his arms and twisted around to face him with tears in her eyes. "I would have rather given the necklace back! Then you would have no reason to pretend to be with someone else. No one would look into it and find out about me! And that does not explain why you would do such an intimate shoot. How would you like it if I did a photoshoot insinuating that I just spent the night making love and then having every man in Japan fantasying about waking up next to me all in a single picture!"
"It doesn't mean anything," he repeated firmly. Ren tightened his fist in frustration. This was what they did. This was their profession. How many times did his mother dress up in a bikini or in provocative underwear and then come home for dinner? How many love scenes did his father do on film and then come home to lovingly kiss his wife? Millions of fans fantasized that his parents would be with them instead, but it didn't mean anything, but to her. To a person who didn't grow up in this environment, these things were shocking and new. He wanted to yell out that only she mattered and it was stupid to think this way, but he couldn't.
"So why did you have to do it?" She said finally crying. Her face fell forward and she covered her face with her hands as she wept softly.
Ren sighed and went down to his knees in front of her. He peered up at her as she rubbed tears out of her eyes. He raised his hand to comb a lock of hair back from her face. "Kyoko, sweetheart, you are the only one who means anything to me. Everything outside of this - of you and me, it doesn't mean anything. What those people think, what the press says, the meetings with Kusunoki, it's all a meaningless." He hesitated for a moment, but she did not reply. A soft little sniffle was all that came from her, so he continued, "Do you want to know what we talk about when we go out? Kusunoki and I?"
Another little pause. His hand dropped down to her cheek. "She talks about her lover. Her name is Miko and they have been together for 2 years." Kyoko finally blinked her red eyes down at him and was actively listening to him. "She is a costume designer trying to get experience so she can get into a fashion house. They met on one of her shows and after flirting with each other through the whole thing they started to see each other romantically."
Kyoko sniffed and mumbled, "That's it?"
Ren smiled softly. "Mostly. She will ask me about you once she gets tired of talking."
Kyoko's face flushed and her eyes widen. "She knows about me?"
He smiled softly. "A bit. I didn't tell her your name, but she knows some non-identifying details."
Kyoko snorted. "Non-identifying?"
"Yeah, age, name, looks, things that could clue her in as to who you are. I don't tell her those things. She knows you are younger than me, and that I love you." Kyoko blushed when he said it so casually making him chuckle. "That you are an actress like us but not how experienced you are. Though, if she were to meet you, she might figure it out rather quickly."
"Why?" She asked confused.
He looked almost bashful as he answered, "I mostly talk about how you act. The things you say and what you do."
While she was not going to allow herself to admit it, that made her happy. She took a deep breath and nodded making him smile. He caressed her cheek, and her eyes closed and nuzzled her cheek against the palm of his hand. His long fingers sipped back into her hair and rubbed her ear making her heart race.
"You mean so much to me. I want you to know," he started and she opened her eyes to look down at him. "That picture, the things that I thought about to find that expression, that was me envisioning my future with you." Blood rushed up to her face and she looked away. "That is my fantasy and I'm doing everything in my power to make my dreams come true." His voice faltered and he timidly added, "so long as you will still have me?"
Kyoko couldn't help the fresh tears that fell but they were joined with a bright smile. She cupped her hand over his at her face and nodded. "I do. I want to be with you," she whispered in a thick voice. She coughed and her brow furrowed as she asked still unsure, "Is that okay?"
He groaned as he fought himself. "It is more than okay," he said in a thick voice. His hand slipped back to the back of her neck and he idly rubbed as he contemplated pulling her down for a kiss. He hasn't kissed her yet, not as Ren. He didn't want to kiss her again until everything was ready. He squeezed his hand at her neck as the battle ensued within him and then a soft little moan escaped her lips. When that little sound escaped her lips, his whole body tensed to push himself forward and sealed the deal.
But the sound seemed to surprise herself, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Thankfully that little action was enough to stop him completely. "I, um, that was, um," she floundered about with her eyes closed and cheeks flushed in embarrassment, "my neck hurts and you with your hand and it um," face burned brighter, "it felt good and I'm… ugh," she moaned again as he squeezed her neck and then proceeded to cover her face completely with both her hands.
He smiled loving her reaction. "If you sit down, I can do a better job."
She dropped her hands on his forearm and shook her head. "I'll be fine," she said as she pushed his hand away.
He pouted. "I still have…" he checked his phone. "like 10 minutes left. Let me make you feel better."
This is bad. I shouldn't have done this. I should have never offered to do this. Ren found himself on the couch again with Kyoko's back to him. She had unsnapped her overalls and let it pool around her waist allowing him to see how well that white shirt hugged her petite body. His hands on her person, massaging her shoulders and neck making her moan at every little squeeze and whimper at every firm stroke. Her hands clenched on the armrest of the couch and the way her back arched with each relieved sigh from at the firm touch of his hand was almost unbearable. This was a test against his will and to his word.
"You don't have to do this," she said for the umpteenth time.
He smiled. I want to. I want to do this and so much more. "But it feels better, right?"
"Hmm," she hummed in agreement. After a few moments, she decided to ask, "So what are you going to do next year when you win this poll again?"
He smiled and challenged, "Who says I'll win?"
She snorted. "I don't see why you wouldn't. You've been winning for the past few years and with this reaction, you are almost guaranteed next year."
"Are you going to vote for me?" He asked in a teasing tone as his hand rubbed up against her neck towards her hairline.
She blushed and let out a little sigh. "I voted for you this year, so there is a good chance."
His hands stilled. "You did?" He was genuinely shocked and that embarrassed her.
She twisted to look at him and his hands fell from her shoulders. "Um, yeah. Why is that so surprising?"
It was his turn to be bashful. "Because it didn't seem like your sort of thing. That whole embracing wording is just a subtle way of saying you want to sleep with them."
A little squeak slipped her lips. She squirmed in her seat as she softly admitted, "Well, it's not wrong."
Ren groaned, twisted around and hit his forehead against the wall behind them.
Kyoko gasped. "What are you doing?!"
He turned to her with a bright red welt marring the Emperor's face. "Don't say those things. Not when we are alone. Not yet."
She blushed but smiled wider. Her fingers came up and tucked her hair behind her ears as she nodded. "I'll try to remember that."
Another little groan and he stood up. "I need to go," he grumbled and started to move.
Alarm filled her and she moved to stand too. The overalls reminded her that they were not on and she quickly moved her arms through the openings to secure them. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tease you or anything. Well, I did, but…" He twisted around as she finally got dressed and held his hand up to stop her from continuing.
"Mogami-san," he said distancing himself. "You have absolutely no idea the power you have over me. The things you say, the way you move, how you act, they all affect me in ways that I have not expressed." The way he was looking at her made her heart jump into her throat. It was suddenly hard to breathe and her mouth got dry from that look alone. His eyes said so much more to her than his words. "I want to respect the boundaries we made, but there is only so much I can take of your seduction."
Her eyes widened at his choice of words and she quickly nodded. "Okay."
Ren leaned down and unexpectedly kissed the top of her head. Even with that timid of a touch, Kyoko burned up. He smiled. "I should go though."
Kyoko nodded. "Right. Good luck with the meeting and the fans."
"Thank you." He didn't want to go but knew if he didn't, he would do something he would regret. Or not and he wasn't sure if that was worse. "I told Maria you would call her when ready."
"Oh! Maria! I completely forgot."
He grinned. "She had to cool off, and from what I could tell, so did you," he teased. She blushed and lightly punched his arm with a pout. Since the mood was lighter, he went ahead and asked, "Are you going to tell me what you were thinking about looking at that picture?"
Kyoko scrunched her nose up and her face colored. Then she shook her head and gave him a wicked little smile. "You told me I wasn't allowed to say those things when we are alone. Do you want me to sate your curiosity and live with the consequences? Or continue to live in blissful ignorance with only your imagination to fill in the blanks."
He snorted. "Blissful, yeah right." He stared at her for a few moments. "That is a hard choice," he groaned and then sighed. "But I do think ignorance is the smarter choice in this case," he decided and opened the door.
Kyoko nodded thankful that she wouldn't have to tell him her naughty thoughts. As he was stepped through the doorway, she lightly tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. Ren turned to her once more, and she leaned up to whisper, "I want you to know that every night I'll look at your picture on my wall and think about our future and all the different things we'll do for that day."
She bounced back down on her feet with a grin. She took the door from his hand which fell limp at his side as he processed what she said. "Something to keep in mind. This is punishment for agreeing to do that shoot. Have a good evening, Tsuruga-san."
The look on his face was priceless as she wiggled her fingers goodbye and closed the door.
Because Kyoko needs a flirting win against Ren too sometimes. She can't be the only one suffering.
Hopefully, everyone knows what picture I'm talking about. If you don't, I'll try to help you find it so you can see and understand. I'm seeing more perks of posting in AO3, but well I don't want to change things over.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Love, AB
