Heels 11
Disclaimer! I do not own the characters, obviously, just the order the words are put together.
I would like to thank everyone that review this story and all the suggestions and thoughts you have relayed. You are an inspiration and I will do my best to keep you happy.
Maria – Careful what you wish for ^^ (you will like where I take this story)
Alitablake – I'm so happy to hear that! I enjoyed writing that part ^^
Guests – Sweden do have 3 additional letters in their alphabet; Å (sounds a bit like Oh), Ä (sounds like the 'ea' in bear (the animal)) and Ö (The letter is also a word meaning Island. Ö sounds like the U in Murder (another reviewer from Sweden gave me the last suggestion :)). – Thank you for the encouragement! – Here is a big chapter for you ^^ -Thank you. I have a wonderful beta to help me and I work hard to increase my vocabulary!
Paulagato – Lory is such a tease ^^
Setsuka e Cain -Thank you dear! You are a constant encouragement for me ^^ I hope you will like this chapter too! Hugs!
Muntolove – Here you go!
Nea-Nyx – Hehe you don't have to wait any more*
Cheshire 2313 – I'm so happy you liked it! I love making Lory a tease ^^ We all need friends like the Ishibashis ^^ I do love my fluff ^^
CamogianGrl – Wow, that make me so happy. I have started to rewrite the other chapters with help of my wonderful Beta so I hope the reread was pleasurable!
Kurakuma – I'm sorry if I was unclear. I put this in the timeline after Ren returns for good from Guam. I didn't think there was enough time and space to get anything else into the mother-arc. Sorry!
I'm sorry if I have missed anyone. Thank you for your support and love!
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Let's begin!
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Kyoko lifted a curious eyebrow when she closed the phone and put it back into her bag. She had a rare day in school and the last period had just ended.
The call in itself wasn't that confusing as the President had taken a custom to call her to his office now and then for different Love Me tasks. This time was no different as he summoned her for what he called a 'task in the name of love'.
'There couldn't be any other interpretation to those particular words could there?'
Kyoko jumped on her bike and aimed for the LME building. She didn't need her hidden power to make it in time and she had actually arrived with a few minutes to spare.
She almost walked into Ren before she noticed him and made a little jump backwards.
"Ren!" She called and almost bit her tongue when she saw Yashiro peek out from behind the actor at the word that had escaped her mouth.
'Oh no! I called him by his name in front of Yashiro-san.' She shrieked mentally and all blood seemed to drain out of her face.
"Kyoko." Ren greeted and the tone of his voice made its way through her layers of devastation. She quickly turned to him and saw the gentleman smile plastered on his face.
A grudge squealed happily while it reached out for the delicious air of anger around the actor. Kyoko flinched when she saw his smile and the thought of escaping passed through her head before she realized that the anger wasn't directed at her.
"Kyoko-chan." Yashiro greeted with a face that had lost all its glee while he glanced at his charge from the corner of his eye.
"Yashiro-san." Kyoko quickly greeted and gave the manager a questioning look. Yashiro opened his mouth but the door behind him moved at the same time and he shut it again.
"Mogami-kun. Tsuruga-san. Please follow me." The President's assistant called for them and Kyoko glanced quickly at Ren.
'Didn't he already speak with the President? I thought he had said something to Ren and that's why he was mad.' Kyoko thought and saw the man dressed in a red coat battle suit turn around to lead the way. Kyoko aimed for his direction and Ren fell into pace beside her.
"Ren?" Kyoko asked worriedly and Ren turned his head in her direction. It looked like he caught onto her worry because the fake smile melted away and he twitched a genuine smile her way.
"You look really cute in your school uniform." Ren suddenly said and Kyoko missed the next step. She would have fallen on her nose if not for the actor's quick reaction. Ren laughed softly when he pulled her back on her two feet and then walked past her through the open doors.
Kyoko pulled in a full breath to steady herself and then quickly followed him inside the President's office.
At first glance she thought the office was empty except her and Ren but a small movement to her left made her turn her head and focus.
There was a full-sized cannon in the middle of the office and Lory was happily packing the opening with what looked like, a genuine cannon ball. Lory was dressed in a blue suit of similar appearance to the one his assistant had worn and Kyoko's eyes widened.
"He is in a civil war mood." Ren explained in passing and Kyoko stared when the President used a stick to push the cannonball deeper into the steel tube.
"Mogami-kun!" Lory called happily and Kyoko bowed as a greeting. "How happy I am to see you. All well?" He asked and Kyoko smiled while she glanced at Ren that was staring at a pale grey folder on the President's desk to her right.
"I'm very well. Thank you for your help the other day." Kyoko said and bowed again.
"No problem!" Lory laughed enthusiastically and pranced around the sofa and table in the middle of the room and reached his desk. "It was a well invested effort." He smiled and lifted the folder out of Ren's burning gaze. Kyoko saw Ren flinch and the darkness deepened. She couldn't help but to stare at the folder like if she expected it to burst into life and start spitting venom at her.
Lory chuckled when he read her face as easily as if it had been a book.
"You have nothing to fear, dear Mogami-kun." Lory smiled and Ren snorted irritated at that. She didn't feel any more comfortable, as she trusted Ren's judgement about what to fear more than the President. "Ren." Lory said warningly and the actor tried to school his face back into more neutral waters. He didn't succeed.
"What is it?" Kyoko couldn't help to get curious but all alarms had started to blare inside her head.
"It is a commercial and a photoshoot." Ren killed the suspense and cut straight to the core. "With you and I as the Heels."
Kyoko stared at him for a moment and then frowned.
"What else?" That couldn't be it.
"I do not know what Ren is so fussed up about."
"It is a project by Akatoki." Ren cut Lory mid-sentence and Kyoko slapped her hands over her mouth. She felt her soul make a run for it.
'Akatoki?!' Kyoko thought in horror and felt her heart rate climb. 'No! There is no way.'
"We have to de…"
"No takie-backsies." Lory said and Ren groaned out loud.
"President." Kyoko walked up to him and stared into the folder. The name of the production company was printed at the top with big bold letters. To her surprise did she find a picture of her and Ren dancing as Heels stapled to the document. She recognized the club and the clearing around them.
'This is from Guam.' She thought and took the folder out of Lory's hands when he offered it to her. She flipped the page and saw a strangely familiar blond man with a camera on the next spread.
'Wait a minute.' Kyoko thought and stared at the picture. She recognized his sun kissed skin and wavy hair.
"Is this?" Kyoko asked and held the picture for Ren to see.
"Hmm." He nodded and Kyoko lifted her eyebrows.
'It's the surfer guy. The one that tried to dance with me the second time at the club.' Setsu snorted when she remembered.
"I got a call from Director Konoe that he had received the request and we both agreed that the project would do wonders to promote the movie."
"Not if we get exposed." Kyoko stammered and Lory turned to her with a questioning smile. He then laughed out loud.
"That is not possible." He laughed and Ren sighed out loud.
"Kyoko has a... childhood acquaintance that works with Akatoki." He said and Kyoko glanced up at the President.
"I don't see the trouble." The President said and Kyoko felt her gut turn into a knot. She recognized the tone of the President's voice. He wouldn't take no for an answer.
"I thought the Heels were over." Kyoko said.
"You want it to be over?" The President asked.
"No!" Both Ren and Kyoko quickly said and then coughed to hide their embarrassment. The President looked far too smug for Kyoko's liking.
"When is it?" Kyoko stammered to change direction of their conversation and her mind started to weigh out the options.
"Tomorrow." Ren groaned and didn't even try to keep a professional face. He turned to Lory while Kyoko watched.
"This is too much of a risk." Ren said and Lory's smile grew more wicked.
"I have already told them you would do it." Kyoko's heart plummeted in her chest.
'He might not even be on set. Akatoki must be huge. There is just a slight chance that he would actually show up. And this should be at Queen Records. It has to be.' Kyoko thought and Setsu hummed.
"How about my hair?" Setsu stepped out to ask. Dropping her wig on set would not do well on a stealthy operation.
'Maybe…'
"Muse will take care of all aesthetic issues." Lory smiled. "She will be ready for you at 8 am tomorrow. Ren will have a wig to use in the meantime so he will join Ten to sort his hair out today."
Kyoko felt trapped. Someone had pulled the rug under her feet and she had fallen badly.
'What did you expect when the President is behind anything?' Setsu snorted and turned to focus on the task ahead.
"What is the job about?" Kyoko asked carefully and saw Ren's mood plummet again. The alarms in her head started to sound again.
"It's a new male perfume named 'Demon'. It is a very interesting project. They want both of you and they even included some ideas for the plot in the papers." Lory said and Kyoko felt like he was trying hard to not grin widely. Kyoko thought about not looking but Setsu pushed on and she flipped the pages.
She read the manuscript that she had missed before. It was no lines but only the general idea of the scene. Kyoko felt her face burn hotter with every line she read.
'Interesting.' Setsu laughed a short laugh while Kyoko's mind started to run haywire.
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"Kyoko." Ren called her attention as her mind drifted on the task again. She found herself sitting outside Lory's mansion with Ren at her side. She had walked out to calm down and he had joined her, probably to get away from Lory's proud smirk.
'It is a job.' Setsu sighed to force Kyoko back on track.
'Ah Ren called my name…' She realized and snapped her head in his direction.
"I'm sorry!" Kyoko gaped and blushed with embarrassment. "What did you say?"
"I just called your name. Are you all right?" Ren asked and Kyoko saw his face form a worried look.
"Yes." She said and smiled reassuringly. He didn't seem convinced. "I'm worried." She finally admitted.
"So am I." Ren said and broke into a smile. Kyoko felt her heart jump when it happened and felt the smile grow on her lips too.
"I don't think the President would risk anything." Kyoko said to assure them both and Ren nodded.
"I think so too. As long as we stay in our roles, we are safe." Ren said and turned to her.
Muse would arrive any moment and she knew that their time together was coming to an end.
"I promise to not let Setsu tease you too much." Kyoko giggled and Ren smiled a crooked grin.
"That would help." He said and caught her hand that rested on the bench between them. Kyoko jumped high but he didn't retract his hand.
"I look forward to act with you again." Ren said and Kyoko felt the blush burn hot on her cheeks.
'Say something. Do something.' Setsu mentally kicked her host.
"Take good care of me. I have never done a photoshoot before and will rely on you." Kyoko said and couldn't help but to squeeze the hand that held hers.
"Please do." Ren said as the door opened and he quickly let go of her hand.
"Ren-chan!" Muse called from the door and the actor rose with a polite nod her way.
"I will call you later." Ren smiled at Kyoko and she nodded with a blush.
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Kyoko rode her bike slowly back towards the Darumaya and stopped every few meters when she stumbled upon different advertisements.
She stared down a five feet tall billboard with a pair caught in an embrace. It was unusually intimate for the Japanese market and Kyoko glared its way for a good half hour.
'Is it something like this?' Kyoko asked again and again and blushed every time the plot passed through her mind.
'It's weird don't you think? Why would they want Cain in a commercial?' Setsu asked and replaced the man on the board with Cain.
An ice-cold chill ran down her spine and made every hair on her arms rise.
Kyoko jumped back onto her bike and finished the journey back home.
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Ren groaned out loud when he finally arrived at his apartment with the Tsuruga Ren wig secured over his newly dyed hair.
'What is that man doing?' Ren sighed and pulled a hand through his fake hair and ripped it off. He felt ten years older than at the start of the day.
'It might be fun.' Kuon smirked and Ren immediately tried to push him further back in his mind.
'Shut up.' Ren growled and pulled his shirt off angrily. He jumped into a hot shower and felt himself relax slightly. He let the water rain down over his face with his arms hanging by his sides.
'No point in worrying about something that you can't control.' He tried to convince himself and forced his muscles to relax.
He soaked far too long to be justified. Finally, he stepped out of the hot fog and dried himself with a towel. His mind was filled with a merciful white light and he didn't want to let it go.
He pulled on a pair of boxers and his favourite sleeping pants before his mind kick started again and he snapped his head to the clock. It was just past midnight and Ren tried to convince himself that he wasn't running to his disregarded clothes to relieve them of his cell phone.
'You are so easy.' Kuon laughed but didn't mind what Ren was doing. All three men smiled when the call connected and a soft voice greeted him from the other end.
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Kyoko sat in a dogeza on top of her bed with the phone resting within arm's reach on the comforter in front of her. She had helped out in the store until it closed and then quickly made herself ready for bed.
Setsu smiled when the call finally came and Kyoko flipped the phone open and connected the power cord in one smooth movement.
"Good evening Ren." She greeted and heard a relieved exhale on the other end.
"Good evening Kyoko. Did you make it home alright?" Ren's voice was gentle and put the feeling of burning scotch in her stomach.
"I did." She smiled and scooted beneath the cover. "How was work?"
"Just a small talk show. It didn't take long." She heard the sound of him moving and waited until it stilled.
"Even a small talk show will turn big when Tsuruga Ren visits." Kyoko giggled and she heard the embarrassed laugh from the other end.
"Thank you." He finally said and Setsu rolled her eyes when it made Kyoko's heart skip a beat.
"You must be used to it by now?" Kyoko asked as she scooted down against the pillows.
"I never get fully used to it. I still get butterflies in my stomach sometimes." Ren said on the other end and Kyoko felt the sincerity in his tone.
"Do you have butterflies about the job tomorrow?" Kyoko felt bold to ask and bit her lip worriedly when the other end turned silent.
"Yes, most definitely about tomorrow." Ren said and Kyoko felt her own nerves buzz to life.
"I have never done a photoshoot before." Kyoko said worriedly and her fingers found the cord. She played with it nervously while she spoke. "And the script…"
"I know. But as long as we stay in our roles it will be fine." Ren said with a determination that Kyoko would like to share.
"I do not have any experience with acting, while I am acting as an actor. Did that make sense?" Kyoko asked.
"Like Cain and BJ?" Ren asked and Kyoko nodded even if he couldn't see. "I fear that I would retort back to myself between the takes." She mumbled.
"I don't think it will be a problem. You are talented." Ren said with confidence and Kyoko felt her face burn with emotions.
'Good thing that you took this by phone.' Setsu thought and rolled her eyes. She was fully confident about the job and had no worries.
"Tha…"
"I'm not just saying that. Setsu has turned into a living person inside of you." Ren continued and Kyoko tried to school her expression without much success.
"Thank you." She managed to get out but feared that he would notice her feelings in the tone of her voice. "I guess Setsu wouldn't let me mess up." She quickly said to distract him.
'Damn right I won't.' Setsu snorted and Kyoko smiled.
"How do you feel about the photoshoot?" Ren asked and Kyoko felt her gut twist and turn.
"I'm nervous, but Setsu is confident enough to pull through." Kyoko said. "She doesn't care about what other people think."
"You shouldn't either. You should feel confident too." Ren said and she mistook his tense tone for educational and went into learning mode.
"I see." She said and remembered the billboard she had passed on the way home. "Confidence will show on the pictures." She thought out loud.
"I meant that you are beautiful, Kyoko. You should feel confident with your looks." Ren sighed on the other end and Kyoko's mind froze temporarily.
'Oh come on! We already went through this in Guam! You admitted that Ren might like your looks.' Setsu whined mentally.
'But it was Cain then…' Kyoko had to swallow twice before she answered again.
"Thank you, Ren. I will believe it if you say it." She said and the suspicious silence on the other end made her smile again.
"I'm honest." He said with a tone that erased her last traces of doubt. She didn't let herself melt the information yet as she assumed it would turn her head into mush for hours.
"I know." She said and pulled a deep breath. The butterflies had to be drowning in all the scotch that filled her gut. "Speaking of honesty. What do you think the President plans for us this time?" Kyoko changed the subject with a smile and Ren caught it immediately.
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"I know." Ren wanted to do a victory dance when he finally got through the girl's defence and made her see the truth.
The slight tremble in her voice made him believe her. He also heard how tense she had turned and accepted her change of subject.
"I don't think he has to plan anything. The plot to this commercial is right up his alley. But I wouldn't be surprised if he would be lurking on a light-rig tomorrow just to watch us play our parts." Ren said with a crooked smile.
Kyoko's thrilling laugh made him continue to talk about the President and all the different costumes the man had been wearing during the years. Kyoko especially liked his story about the time when the President timed a tribal warrior theme with a plane ride. The President had been covered in mostly body paint and had scared everyone in the security area.
They talked for more than an hour. They both knew when the other was too tired to speak but neither of them suggested that they would end the call.
Kyoko woke up once that night because of a sound outside the shop. As soon as she made sure no drunk was about to break through the doors she settled against the pillows. The lit screen of her phone made her smile and she carefully pinned it between her ear and the bed. It only took a moment for her to zero in on Ren's steady breathing and fall back to sleep.
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"Good morning Ren." A voice said right beside his ear and Ren smiled before he opened his eyes.
"Morning Kyoko." He said and tried to locate the phone without accidently pressing a button.
'Easy. You will float if your mood gets any better than this.' Kuon laughed but Ren ignored him. Ren got up to sit on the edge of the bed and disconnected the cord.
"Did you sleep well?"
"As you joined me, I slept very well. I'm afraid this quickly has turned into a habit." Ren smiled and imagined that he could feel the heat of her blush travel through the phone.
"I'm afraid so." Kyoko giggled and Ren could hear her shuffle around on the other end. Ren glanced at the clock at the nightstand table.
"You have to get going I presume." Ren smiled softly.
"Yes. I will meet Muse in an hour. But I will see you later." She said and Ren hummed.
"Cain looks forward to meeting his sister again." He said as he moved towards the kitchen.
"Setsu feels the same." Kyoko giggled. "Good morning, Ren." Kyoko said as a goodbye and Ren waited patiently for her to say the last line. "Oh! And don't skip breakfast."
"I wouldn't dare. Good morning Kyoko. See you in a bit." He said and closed the phone when the dial tone started to sound.
Due to the task expected of him that day he settled with a light salad and some juice.
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Kyoko felt like the hours passed in a blur when Muse worked on her hair. She wouldn't be able to wear her usual wig as the makeup team on set would notice, hence she was fitted with semi-permanent hair extensions in Setsuka Heel's colours. Muse managed to tame the hair into a precise replica of the wig while Kyoko was in la-la land the whole time.
Muse finished right on time and Kyoko used the President's office to change into Setsuka's clothes. As soon as the corset had been fastened, Setsu took the stage and Muse smiled triumphantly.
"You surely are a pleasure to work with Kyoko-chan." Muse said smiling and Kyoko basked in the praise. She pulled on her boots and took a slow deep breath. Kyoko had decided to change and walk through LME as a test to see if she would be recognized and also to boost her confidence before Akatoki.
Setsu held the wheel firmly as she walked out of the President's office. It was noon and the building boiled with life and movement and everyone she walked past would take their time to stop and stare.
Kyoko couldn't blame them. She had a black corset with silver coloured metal plates panelling the sides. She had one of her black miniskirts and thigh high boots. She also wore a small leather jacket over her shoulders but everything left her lower stomach bare and her arms and upper thighs were for show. Muse had done the makeup to perfection and Setsu felt great.
She walked with confidence to the nearest elevator and pushed the button. There were two more people waiting and Kyoko recognized them as talents of the music division. They probably wouldn't have recognized her on a usual day and would just have walked past without even noticing her. It was day and night compared to the open stares they gave her at the moment. Setsu ignored the attention while Kyoko couldn't help to feel a bit warm on the inside.
The elevator doors opened and Setsu stepped inside the almost full elevator first. She ended up in the middle and she felt the open curiosity from the people inside. Two girls whispered in the back and sized her up from head to toe. Kyoko saw everything from the safety of her own brain while Setsu steered the ship. Kyoko could hear them ask each other who she was and debate about her heritage.
"I can't believe someone would dare to walk around dressed like that." One of the girls whispered and the other one leaned in closer.
"She has light grey eyes. She isn't from here." She debated.
'They are talking about me.' Kyoko hummed intrigued as the elevator stopped on the ground floor. Setsu didn't wait and stepped outside first. She got one step before she noticed Kanae in front of her.
The second Love Me member stared at her with a horrified expression and Setsu moved past without acknowledging her.
'Moko-san.' Kyoko giggled mentally and wondered what her friend would say if she knew that it was her in those clothes. She left Kanae behind and had no idea whether she still stared after her or not.
'Well done.' Setsu thought and turned around the corner to head for the front doors. She almost ran into Yashiro who had stopped to stare at her with an open mouth. Setsu however had her eyes set on a different person.
The President waited by the doors and smiled at her with a crooked grin.
"Setsuka Heel. How nice to see you, again."
"You forced my brother to work. I'm not overly fond of you at the moment." Setsu snorted his direction but halted beside him. Sawara appeared behind the President with a horrified face. It seemed like he had heard what she said.
'Do he know that it is me?' Kyoko wondered. She knew that Sawara was one of the few to know about project X but she hadn't affirmed that he knew about her.
"At least I got you to work together." Lory said with a faked frown and Setsu didn't let any emotion show on her face.
"Where is he?" Setsu asked and glanced around.
"He will arrive by car any moment." Lory said and Setsu turned her attention to the doors.
Kyoko felt her heart twitch in excitement when one of the company cars rolled up in front of the building and Setsu took a step towards it.
"Heel-kun." Lory called and Setsu stopped again reluctantly. She turned to look at him with a bored expression. "Gift from me." He said and reached out with an envelope in his hand.
Setsu frowned but took it from his hand and pushed it into her bag.
"Tell your brother that the car picks him up at 9.30 am. He's yours until then." Lory said and Setsu wrinkled her forehead. She pulled the envelope out of her bag again and peaked inside. A key card with the name of a hotel printed on was the only thing inside.
'Oh yes.' Setsu smirked and caught the President's eyes. Lory seemed taken back with her expression and only stared at her. Setsu didn't have time for him and turned to the doors again.
"I forgive you." Setsu called over her shoulder and took long strides to get to the car as soon as possible. She walked out and pulled the car door open to glance inside.
It was a big Humvee, far too big for just the two of them but Setsu's focus was on the man in the back of the car.
Cain was in the middle of the back seat with his arm leisurely on the back rest. Setsu saw the crooked smile on his face and climbed inside the car and closed the door behind her.
She moved straight to straddle his lap and put their foreheads together.
"Drive." Cain said to the chauffeur and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her closer until they were flush against each other.
The car jolted into movement but Setsu couldn't care less. It felt like she breathed for the first time in a year. She inhaled the faint scent of his skin and pushed her hands into his hair.
"Missed me?" She asked with her lips ghosting over his.
"Every second." Cain moved one hand from her back to her head and steered her even closer.
The air was filled with suspense and Setsu felt breathless. Cain met her eyes and she could see the same fire in them as burned in her own gut.
"What are you waiting for?" He asked and Setsu couldn't help the grin on her lips.
"Nothing." She breathed against his lips and then closed the final distance.
It was lightning from a clear sky, a flash of fire in her mind and the harmony of a bow that had released an arrow. She didn't know when she carefully began to taste his lips with her tongue or when she began to pull him a bit too hard to herself to be controlled.
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Ren held her close and hummed pleased when she held him even harder.
'Finally.' Kuon lived in the moment and prayed for it to continue forever. Breathing felt like a waste of time and concentration. Ren let the hand on her back travel to her waist and his thumb found the sensible skin on her hip.
'Keep it together.' Cain warned and moved his head away for air. He slowed down the pace but couldn't tear himself away from her before the car pulled into the curb outside Queen Records.
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Setsu followed her brother out on the sidewalk and glanced at the building in front of her with a frown.
The building was as she remembered it, big and flashy with posters in all windows and large digital billboards that rapidly switched between pictures of talents. Setsu didn't wait for the face Kyoko knew would appear and turned her focus on the woman that had walked up to meet them.
She could be around thirty and had a steel grey pencil skirt and a white blouse. Her hair was pulled back into a flawless bun and she had glasses on her nose. The woman was eyeing Cain with a slight frown. Setsu glanced at the woman sideways and smirked when she saw the faint tremor in her hands.
'Is my brother more frightening than you thought?' Setsu mused and took her stance beside her brother.
"Heel-san, Heel-san." The woman greeted. "I'm Akioka Hibari. Welcome to Akatoki production site, Queen Records. Please follow me." She said with only slight hesitation and turned around.
Setsu let her fingers play on the inside of Cain's wrist and he spread his fingers to allow her to intertwine their hands. The people on the sidewalk divided like the red sea to allow the Heels passage and they followed Akioka inside.
Kyoko glanced around to see what had changed since the prisoner PV in the cover of Setsu's mind. Akatoki's golden boy was featured on at least five full sized posters that she could see and Kyoko lost all interest to observe further.
Akioka led them to a pair of elevators and swiped a card in front of a reader mounted on the wall. Setsu waited with a bored expression when a faint rumble reached her ear.
"I told you to eat breakfast." Setsu said with a pointed look at Cain. The sound had originated from his stomach and it ticked both girls off.
"I did." He said without hesitation. She didn't hear a lie but she guessed his thought of a breakfast wouldn't be enough for her.
"Cigarettes don't count." Setsu hissed and Cain gave her a blank look.
"I ate." It was far too weak of a statement to make her calm down.
"I wish you hadn't." Akioka interrupted in English with a stern frown. "The shoot requires an excellent physic from the male cast." Setsu turned her head to the woman that had cut into their conversation.
'What does breakfast have to do with his physics today?'
"You won't be disappointed." Setsu said with full confidence and Kyoko blushed when her mind provided several visual remnants that backed her statement.
"I hope so." Akioka said impolitely and Setsu felt her irritation climb.
'What's her problem?' She thought when the elevator arrived and Akioka led them inside.
Cain didn't let out any emotions and you couldn't judge by his face that he even noticed that the woman was in the same room. Setsu couldn't help feeling a bit gleeful when Akioka glanced at Cain again with a slightly curious expression.
The doors of the elevator opened when they reached the fourth level and Akioka took the lead again. There were a lot of people in motion in the hallway outside and most seemed too busy to take notice of the small delegation. Setsu caught sight of only a few that hurried out of their way when they happened to glance at Cain.
Akioka led them to a strangely familiar room with at least ten meters to the ceiling. The room was gigantic with black walls and a set in the middle surrounded by equipment.
'This is the same place as the prisoner mv.' Kyoko realized but exhaled when a quick scouting of the area couldn't find the annoying musician.
"Please follow me." Akioka said and Setsu felt the annoyance spike again.
'When didn't we?' She growled mentally and Cain squeezed her hand. She glanced his way but he wasn't looking at her.
'He must have felt my irritation.' Setsu felt eyes on both her and her brother when they walked up to the blond surfer guy that they both recognized.
"Wells-sama." Akioka called and the blond guy spun around on his toes with a bright smile.
"Aki-chan!" He greeted the woman and then turned his gaze to the Heels with a slight awkward smile.
"Heel's, thank you for accepting my request." He greeted them in English and bowed deeply in front of them. "I'm sorry if our first meeting left a sour taste in your mouth." He smiled apologetically. Setsu just watched him without speaking. Cain leaned down to her ear and she averted her gaze to be able to focus on his words.
"Ask where the equipment is and assigned time." Cain said and Kyoko wondered what he meant. She relayed the words to the photographer whose name seemed to be Wells.
"Oh. You will find it in the corner there. It will be about thirty minutes." Wells said and pointed behind them to the right. Neither of the siblings turned to watch but Setsu shifted towards Cain and relayed the message while Wells watched them with open curiosity.
"What are you doing?" He asked and Setsu frowned. His personality clashed badly with theirs and she foresaw trouble.
"Working. What's first?" Setsu asked and she saw a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Wow, you are perfect." Wells smiled widely and walked up to her. He lifted his arm like to wrap it around her shoulders but Cain caught his wrist.
"Do not touch her and this job will be done without problems." Cain said and Akioka stomped their way with an angry face. Wells lifted his other hand in a defensive gesture and Cain let his hand go before Akioka reached them.
"I only danced with her to prove a point." Wells said and Akioka turned to him instead. Wells smiled excusing. "I found this pair in Guam. I saw them dance one night and got entranced. Some nights after, I made a move on Setsuka-chan. It was just to see what Cain-san would do."
'Didn't seem like it at the time.' Setsu snorted.
"What's first?" Setsu asked again.
"Buffing for the brother and wardrobe for the sister." Wells' smile returned and he waved towards a pair of girls who waited a few steps away.
"Take good care of Setsuka-chan." Wells said and Cain squeezed her hand. Setsu turned to him and stroked his cheek with her free hand.
"I will see you soon." She said and he leaned into her touch.
"Find me if there is anything." He said and she smirked crookedly.
"I will. See you soon." Setsu walked past him and followed the two giggly women to a dressing booth in a corner of the big hall.
Setsu was rather bored while the girls pulled her around and in and out of clothes. Kyoko both blushed and shivered mentally when she saw the clothes they wanted to dress her in.
It took half an hour before they let her keep a red and black dress with a long drape in the back that transformed to a short shirt in the front. They had padded her bra and fitted her with a black garter. It wasn't her style but didn't comment on it as it was a job. They left her face as it was and only pinned her hair into a loose updo. They fitted her in sky high stiletto heels then sent her back out. Setsu ignored the orders to find the photographer and scanned the area to find her brother.
'He pointed this way.' Kyoko thought and moved toward a corner of the room with a lot of heavy equipment.
'What is buffing?' Kyoko pondered while she walked.
'No idea. Must be something obvious because everyone knew what he was talking about.' Setsu thought as she caught sight of a man that hurried away in front of her with a pale face.
Setsu recognized the face of someone who had angered her brother and moved in the opposite direction of where the man was running.
Setsu turned the corner and saw the familiar back of her brother. He had a black t-shirt on and it was damp with sweat.
'What is he doing?' Kyoko thought as Setsu moved closer but then recognized the equipment around him.
'Weightlifting?'
"Nii-san." She called and Cain let the cords in his hand slack before he turned around to her. Setsu loved the widening pupils and the crooked smirk on his mouth when he saw her clothes. He took her in for several moments before he spoke.
"You are beautiful, Setsu." He said with the emperor's eyes on full strength. Kyoko jumped high in surprise inside their head but Setsu managed to keep their front.
"You done?"
"I have my shoulders left." Cain said and pulled the lining of the t-shirt.
Kyoko had no idea why Ren was working out just before their work would start but leaned against an immovable piece of the machine to keep him company. He pulled the hem at the neckline again and Setsu rolled her eyes.
"Give me your shirt." She said and held her hand out to him. Cain glanced at it before he pulled the shirt off with one smooth move and both girls got stunned.
Ren's body had grown. His muscles had swelled and the damp skin added highlights to the bulging curves. Kyoko couldn't help but to stare. She had touched the same abs just an hour before but they were completely transformed.
'Whoa?' Kyoko stammered and her eyes didn't miss a movement when Cain walked close to her and gripped a pair of handles above her head. Setsu was half a step in front of him and she could see every little droplet on his skin. She wasn't the only one staring.
Cain eyed her from top to bottom again and then pulled himself up with just his arms.
'I know this one. Chin ups.' Kyoko thought and saw Cain cross his ankles and bend his knees to not touch the floor when he lowered down again. It looked so effortless when he pulled himself up and Kyoko finally realized how strong Ren was.
'I had no idea.' She thought but then recalled that he had carried her in his arms twice without a hint of struggle.
Setsu watched his every rise and descend with hooded eyes and Kyoko found herself admiring how the muscles played beneath his warm skin. They locked eyes at one point and the centre of Kyoko's body exploded in flames.
She had no idea what the feeling was or what it meant but she wanted something. She felt it deep down in her bones.
'To touch. To feel. To smell and to taste.' Setsu thought and gripped hard around her arms to keep her hands to herself.
She had no idea how many Ren had done but it worked wonders on his shoulders and arms. The muscles bulged and vibrated with energy.
'I didn't know they got bigger during training...' Kyoko thought and tried to memorize Ren's new shape. She had to create a whole new scale in her head to fit his new measurements.
For every centimetre of his skin she imprinted in her mind, the temperature seemed to climb another degree. A pearl of sweat broke free from the middle of his chest and she followed its path down his front. A second gravity formed in her pelvis. It pulled and tugged at her gut and made her dizzy. Her breathing quickened and she had no idea why.
The temptation finally got too strong and Kyoko had no complaints when Setsu reached out her hand.
.
.
.
Ren liked buffing before a job. He had practiced his routine into perfection and he could use the time to empty his mind. He was almost in meditation mode when Setsu joined him again and set his mind into spinning.
Someone had put her in a dress that was riding low over her chest and barely reached her thighs. The garter accented her long legs and had Kuon swooning inside their head. Her messy hair made his mind remember other times when he had made her hair look like that.
'Focus!' Cain groaned.
She was beautiful and he told her. The faint blush on Setsu's cheeks made his mind lose focus again.
'Snap out of it.' Ren pleaded and pulled the neckline of his T-shirt to distract himself. He obviously did it a few times too many because she ordered him to take it off just moments after. She would never believe him if he told her it actually was comfortable and instead pulled it off.
Tsuruga Ren's upper body was known by a large portion of the world and he shouldn't have felt self-conscious in front of her. But somehow, he did.
'Is she going to stand right in front of me?' Ren thought when he reached for the handles and pulled himself up for the first time. He needed to shift his thoughts and had the perfect distraction at hand. He crossed his ankles and made a full circle before he glanced at her again. Setsu watched him with open curiosity and wonder.
'What's with that face?' Ren thought as he lowered himself down. He almost lined up with her face before he pulled himself up again.
The familiar burn in his arms was welcome and he focused on it. He counted to ten before he lost focus and slipped his gaze towards the girl again. What he saw almost made him lose his hold.
She stared at his body with an unmistakable hunger that resonated into his core. Cain saw her size his chest up while she licked her lips slowly.
'What...' Ren didn't know what to think. Her eyes reflected hunger, but he was absolutely sure that Kyoko had no interest, or even knowledge about, that kind of emotion.
Ren pulled himself up again and averted his eyes.
'It can't mean anything. No. I better not look. I will start to imagin...' His mental voice got interrupted by a feather light touch on the left side of his ribcage. Ren glanced down and saw her fingertips on his skin.
He slowly straightened his legs and let them find the floor again while she let more and more skin connect. He let his arms slowly fall to his side while he watched her move. The girl's other hand met his right side and she let both palms rest flat against his skin. He could feel exactly how warm her hands were when she started to slide them over his body. Ren's skin was lit on fire and she was lava.
'Kyoko?' He wanted to ask but also knew that her movements would stop if he broke the spell she seemed to be under.
Her hands travelled up to his chest and shoulders and then down along his arms. It was a sweet torture and Ren's heart slammed desperately against his ribs.
'No... why... Kyoko?'
Cain barely held the wheel and focused mostly on keeping the face unbothered.
When she reached his wrists, she let her hands find his hips and slowly traced her way back up. Her thumbs jumped between every valley on his abs and he felt the goosebumps spread like wildfire. Ren was hyper aware of everything she did and he caught sight of her eyes again.
Her eyes would have looked black without the grey contact lenses. He saw the shadow of her pupil swallow her own irises. Her lips were slightly parted and she breathed through her mouth.
"Suddenly..." She said and Ren almost jumped from the surprise of hearing her voice. He thought she had been lost in la-la-land. She didn't let her eyes off his body but licked her lips. "Suddenly the word 'hot' got a whole different meaning to me." She said and Ren could see her lean in closer and open her mouth.
'Wait what!?' Kuon and Ren stammered in their head. They didn't know if it was her words or the fluster about what she was about to do but they felt tingles vibrate their whole body.
He felt her breath ghost over his heated skin and it felt like a sucker punch to his gut.
"Heel-san!" Akioka's voice cut through the tension and the girl stopped her advance. Ren didn't know if he exhaled in relief or disappointment. "We are ready for you both." The woman called and Setsu straightened out of her position with her usual face.
"Annoying." He heard her mutter and Cain used the distraction to take back full control of their face. He slipped his hand into her neck and kissed the top of her head.
"Let us get this over with." He said and gripped her hand. Setsu smiled at him and nodded.
"Yeah lets." She said and they both turned to follow Akioka that waited for them with a displeased face some steps away.
.
.
.
'I never knew his body could be that hard… Or warm…' Kyoko thought a bit spellbound while she followed the prim woman back to the surfer photographer.
"Good job." Wells greeted them with a top to bottom look that put a smile on his lips.
"Setsuka-chan is beautiful in that dress and Heel-san looks like the devil." Their lack of reaction to his comment made him continue. "Well then. We are kicking it off with the commercial to set the mood. My dear friend Aki-chan here oversees the set while I will focus on your feelings and getting the right impressions." Wells said and waved two fingers their way to make them follow him.
"The fragrance is named 'Demon' and we have decided to angle it in a dark way. We want the pictures to be really sexy. I had no idea you two were siblings when I requested for you. I hope it will turn out all right." Wells said with a frown but then smiled widely again.
"Setsuka-chan, you will be the demon. You will create your own lover by conjuring him out of the scent. He will then be alive and you will be overwhelmed with what you have created. You will be putty in his hand. We hope to create interest with this setup. You think you will be able to handle it?" He asked like a challenge and turned around. Setsu was right in front of his face and she noticed that they practically were the same length when she had the heels on.
"If you can handle our acting, there won't be any problem." She bit back at him while Kyoko wailed about politeness in her head.
"Oh really?" Wells didn't back down even if he had flinched initially when she had been closer than he expected.
"Really." She said and stood her ground with confidence. Wells began to grin but halted at the same time Setsu felt a burning heat against her back.
"Back up." Cain said with a pointed look on the photographer.
"Sure! Let's get to work." Wells smiled a quick uncertain smile and pointed at the set.
'What a horrible mood! Setsu you have to do something!' Kyoko cried inside their mind but Setsu waved it off.
'As long as I do my work.' She snorted.
"I need my vision to unfold in front of me. Therefore, are we filming this in order." Wells said and waved at a lot of people around the set. Everyone got into motion and he turned back to them.
"In this first scene we will have Setsuka-chan alone on a big bed with a bored face. I want it to look like you then remember something naughty that will amuse you. You will walk into this room with the excitement of a devil about to do something bad. It's in here you will create your lover."
'It sounds simple but with just my expressions… It will be hard.' Kyoko thought and watched the two pieces of the set that Wells pointed at. The first one was a big bed, almost the size of Ren's, with a black satin sheet that crumpled in the middle. It was placed on a red fluffy rug that looked unbelievable soft.
"Setsuka-chan you will take place on the bed while the makeup team get to work on Heel-san." Wells ordered and began climbing up a ladder. Kyoko saw the rig above the bed and guessed they would shoot her from above. Setsu turned to Cain and he kissed the top of her head again.
"I will be right back." He said and she nodded. A pair of beauticians stood shivering and waited for him and Setsu turned her back to them.
Her 12 centimetres' stiletto heels felt wobbly on the rug but she managed to get to the bed without looking bothered.
"Setsuka-san. Lay down on the middle facing up. We will arrange your hair and clothes when you are settled." Akioka said behind her and Setsu climbed up into the bed. It felt strange to frown when Kyoko danced the 'princess fabric appreciation dance' in a mind that had filled up with la-la-land.
She barely turned on her back when the first pair of hands touched her body. Setsu couldn't help to flinch from the ice-cold hands around her ankles.
"Stay still." Akioka ordered and Setsu fell back against the satin. Two additional pairs of hands started to tug on her dress and ordered her hair but she didn't look to see who it was.
Setsu stared straight up and saw Wells hoover on a small rig above her head.
"Beautiful Setsuka-chan." He greeted with a smile.
'It doesn't make me feel anything. When Cain said the same thing just before...' Her mental voice got interrupted by hands adjusting her cleavage. Kyoko felt like covering herself up while Setsu stayed relaxed.
'It's nothing.' She said to coo her host. 'It's a job. Everyone does this.'
"There. It looks perfect." Wells said and all hands retracted. They had put her on her back with a small pillow behind her shoulder blades. Her legs were folded and knees pointed to the right. Her hands were above her head in a relaxed way. It didn't feel uncomfortable even if the pillow caused her head to fall back a bit.
"Setsuka-chan. There isn't any talk in this commercial. I will order you all along and you move the best you can." Wells said and the rig lifted in the air. "Begin with your eyes closed and your face slightly turned to the left. When I tell you, you turn your head to me and then open your eyes. I need to feel boredom and evilness." He said and Setsu turned her face slightly to the right.
'Bored and evil? That is my everyday look.' She mused but fuelled the grudges inside of her to ramp up the evilness.
"Everyone ready?" Wells called and Setsu could hear several people answer with their assigned area and then ready. "Light, ready. Props, ready. Make up, ready." And so on.
"Then, all ready… Shoot!" Wells called and Setsu heard the clipper.
"Scene 1 take 1." Akioka said before Setsu heard the rig above her descend.
"Nice Setsuka-chan. Now turn to me." Wells called and Setsu channelled her feelings to the surface. She turned her head and glared at the camera beside Wells. "Perfect. Now remember the evil deed you can do to pass time." Wells said and Setsu caught on.
'How about we tease our Nii-san later at the hotel room?' Setsu let a slight smile turn her lips up in the corner. She burned the camera with her mischievousness.
"Great. Now extend your legs and use your arms to push yourself up from the bed." He ordered and she did as he said. She managed to push herself up with just the help of her arms to her side. She still stared at the camera.
"Now freeze." Wells said when she reached her limit and she held herself elevated.
"And cut." Wells said and smiled widely at her.
"Amazing Setsuka-chan! We will do it again a few times and you can move just like that. Try to make it smooth." He said and Setsu relaxed back onto the bed. The hands were all over her again and adjusted everything that had moved out of place.
"Then again." Wells said and Setsu moved.
They took four additional retakes before he was satisfied and then moved on to her climbing out of the bed.
It was a shot of when her high heels hit the rug and then the camera moved up her body while she took her first step. They shot that scene seven times before the dress fell the way Wells liked it and they could move on to the next part.
That one was easy. She just moved down a hallway and turned right. They only shot that one twice.
Kyoko had no idea about how much time had passed when she finally had her first scene with Cain. The time apart had desensitized her for his visuals and the makeup team had been busy.
Cain waited on the end of the set with a glistening body. Kyoko felt her gut tighten and Setsu smirked like she had laid eyes on a delicious meal.
"Keep that hunger for the shot, Setsuka-chan." Wells said with a smile and Cain turned his head to her. Kyoko felt the shame and embarrassment burn on the inside but it didn't reach the surface. Setsu pushed it down easily and made the girl focus on her brother again. Cain was watching her with an intensity that immediately trapped her again.
Kyoko felt it like the air vibrated with electricity. The question was evident in his eyes but she had no answer.
'Hunger... what is it and why do I feel it now?' Kyoko thought but tried to analyse the fire in her body. The feeling of scotch seemed to have travelled from her gut to her pelvis and up into her head. Everything was burning and, somehow, she knew that HE was the cure.
'I do hunger for something.' She thought and reached out for Ren's waist again. He followed her hand as she let it slide on the oil up over his chest.
"Heels we are waiting for you." Wells called and Setsu reluctantly pulled her hand away.
.
.
.
It was the second time that day she had looked at him like that. Ren felt the dangerous hope rise in his chest and quickly pushed it down.
'No no...' He said to himself and turned his gaze away from her. The scene would be hard enough even without her possible fascination with his body. Ren pulled a breath and stepped onto the set.
It was a black tile room with a small pool in the middle. It was filled with black water and Ren had no idea how deep it was. According to the script he would rise out of the pool on Setsu's command as a symbolization of his birth. He had to channel confidence and power into his body language when he ascended the stairs.
He had been given red contact lenses and with his current tension he believed that it would be easy to portray a demon.
"Heel-san, you will soon step down here." Wells said and pointed to the pitch-black water. "Setsuka-chan will take the bottle of perfume and add one drop to the water. I want your face to be concentrated and cold as ice. Heel-san will then rise out of the water like a silent death." Wells said with dramatical gestures. Cain glanced at Setsu and saw her follow the photographer with her eyes.
'The next part is critical.' Ren thought and observed Setsu's expression when Wells continued.
"Setsuka-chan will then walk around Cain and when you have completed a lap, I want the lust to flow out of you. You must be completely entranced with Cain and still keep your evilness. I know you are siblings…"
"It is no problem." Setsu cut through his words and Ren couldn't help his heart when it did a double take.
'No problem? Kyoko, do you even know what he is talking about?' Ren thought as he promptly ignored the butterflies of hope that swarmed around him.
'Sounds like she does.' Kuon thought with a grin.
'You still haven't learned your lesson it seems.' Cain thought and turned his head away from the girl that showed no sign of distress.
.
.
'I already knew that I wasn't pure.' Kyoko thought as Setsu waited for the makeup crew to order her hair into perfection.
'And with Cain as our co-star. There won't be any trouble to bring the hunger.' Setsu added with confidence. Kyoko blushed and the butterflies in her stomach couldn't seem to calm down. 'You don't have to worry.'
'But Ren will notice that the feelings are real!' Kyoko wailed and Setsu gave her host a mental slap.
'It is your work. Do you plan to do a bad job?'
'Of course not!'
'You have no choice then.' Setsu said with a mental shrug that ticked Kyoko off.
'I know. I will do it. It's just…'
'Ren will notice. I know. And unfortunately, it isn't an emotion that I would have for my brother. You aren't able to hide behind me this time.' Setsu thought with a sigh. 'Would it really be that bad if he knew? It is Tsuruga Ren. Half the world lusts after that man.'
'I feel shallow!' Kyoko cried out and Setsu clicked her tongue.
'Don't even try. You were attracted to Ren before today. The hunger has never been this clear before but that says a lot too. You have seen Sho without his shirt several times without even one percent of this feeling.' Setsu said and Kyoko rolled into a ball of embarrassment inside her mind.
'But…'
'No but. You survived accepting your love. You will survive accepting your lust too!' Setsu said with confidence while Kyoko wailed on the inside.
"Setsuka-chan. Are you ready?" Wells asked and Setsu nodded once.
"Of course." She said and took her stance. Akioka arrived with the clipper and snapped it before the camera.
"Scene 4 take 1." She said and Kyoko wailed louder.
….
.
….
Author's note:
What a cliff-hanger! I'm sorry… No actually, I'm not! This will unfold nicely next time ^^
I hope I didn't bore you with the sterile descriptions of the scenes. I have a plan for how this will evolve and I needed a stage for it to happen.
Kyoko is awakening to her more primal feelings of desire and lust and Ren is fighting with himself about accepting what he sees.
I hope you agree with me when I think that Ren and Kyoko can't happen as long as Ren doesn't believe that she sees him. Him, as in a Male human being. I will not make this a smut story but I want them to be on the same wavelength and I strongly believe this is a crucial step.
By the way. I saw a documentary, long time ago, and buffing and food deprivation is/was common before a photoshoot with a lot of body showing. Food deprivation to make their stomachs flatter. Buffing/training to force blood into their muscles, making them grow and get more defined.
This chapter is one of the longer ones and I hope you stayed with me to the end.
Until next time (within two weeks, I promise).
Love from Sweden.