Heels 12.
Celebrations are in order!
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100+ Reviews! This is simply amazing.
And with this chapter 100,000+ words!
When I decided to upload my story, I had hopes about making one or two people happy or intrigued.
Now this happened!
It has been a joy, and I will continue to tell this story to the end.
Alitablake – I couldn't help a little visit by the blonde roach. But I didn't want it focused on him.
Setsuka e Cain – You are one of my most diligent reviewer. Thank you for your continued support. I hope you like this chapter too. Hugs
Minna – Ahh sant! Tack för tipset! Kul att de finns fler svenskar I denna fandom! Kram
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Black neko hime – Thank you. I was convinced that "desire" had to happen. I'm glad to know that you agree ^^
Tabbykatroses – I only love you! And may the odds be in my favour when I now present you with another chapter as my courting-gift. Hihi. Spread the love hihi.
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Well then! Let's get started!
….
Ren let his face rest against the cool schist wall and closed his eyes. He put his palms against the cold stone in a try to disperse the heat in his body.
The cool rain drizzled over his back and he panted the hot air out of his lungs.
'There is no way…'
Ren moved his right hand from the wall to his heart and felt it hammer against his palm. The cold rain made paths over the back of his head and continued down around his neck. The cold drops followed his jaw until they fell victim to gravity and left at the tip of his chin.
Ren pulled a deep breath and relaxed his face. The lenses obscured his vision for a moment but then slid back into place. He followed the path of a single drop from his face to the ground. It exploded in several tiny sprinkles when it met the hard surface.
The corner of Ren's lip started to lift regardless of how hard he tried to fight it. He finally gave in with a sigh and his lips curled into a smile so wide you couldn't believe it to be the same man.
….
One hour earlier.
...
"Scene 4, take 1." Akioka said with a clear voice that cut all conversations short. The light and cameras were focused on Setsu and she had no problem letting a mask of concentration fall over her face.
The cameras were forgotten to her. Everything that mattered was the pool of black water and the bottle in her hand.
Setsu laid all focus into the glass container, willing her magic to work.
'I have to bring Cain out. I'm his maker.' Setsu stepped up alongside the pool with confidence and determination. She held the bottle out over the water and inhaled the same time she tipped it over. A single, thick, black drop rolled out of the opening and fell into the pool.
The silence and her focus were so dense that she could hear when the drop hit the surface. She straightened the bottle in her hand and exhaled.
"And CUT!" Wells called out and Setsu turned her head forward.
Cain was standing right in front of her and she caught sight of his feet first. She recognized them even if they were bare and they had dressed him in charcoal black dress pants. She didn't mind the uncharacteristic pants as they fitted him like a glove. Kyoko imprinted every inch of his body in her memory as she travelled with her eyes up over his body. His bare chest and the oil-slick skin lit the fire inside of her again.
"Well done, Setsuka-chan!" Wells called and suddenly intruded on the space between the siblings. "I have to see the tape but I think it was a one take wonder!" Wells almost squealed in delight and Setsu twisted an annoyed eyebrow in his direction.
"Good for you." She said and stepped around him, while on the inside Kyoko cried out in horror after the impolite response.
"Your turn, Nii-san." Setsu said while she moved in on Cain again. She saw him glance along her collarbones and it almost felt as if his lips ghosted over her skin.
"You did well." He said and leaned down to kiss her cheek. Setsu felt the electricity between them and exhaled slowly.
"If my Nii-san says so, I have to trust him." Setsu kept her hands down and just leaned in closer without actually touching him. Cain smirked approvingly at her words and then stepped past her.
"Okay!" Wells said with a hint of a pout. Setsu turned to watch after her brother while the makeup team started to swarm around her. They added powder and sprayed her hair without her acknowledging them in the slightest. Her eyes were strongly fixated on her brother's back as he walked up to the pool.
"Just step in Heel-san. We will trouble you with holding your breath until the surface has calmed down and then you have to ascend out of the water. Remember, you are a demon! I want controlled evilness and confidence." Wells said and pointed to the black water. Cain just tilted his head as an answer and Wells nodded back.
"We will take a close up, isolated sequence first. Then we will add Setsuka-chan again and film the whole thing. Okay?" Cain's answer was to take the first step into the water.
'I hope it is warm.' Kyoko thought as Cain took each step without hesitation. The descent was almost eerie. Everyone was silent as they followed his movements.
Setsu felt like the air filled with static electricity and suspension. She was on her toes, filled with energy.
The pool was deeper than she thought and Cain's back was straight the whole way down. He glanced at Wells before he took the last step and disappeared beneath the surface.
Setsu's heart did a double take when the surface stilled and Cain seemed swallowed by the world.
"Roll the camera!" Wells called and everyone snapped out of their trance except Setsu. She let her eyes trace the surface and moved up to stand just beside the main camera. She heard Akioka yell something her way but Wells silenced her with a single gesture of his hand. Everyone was turned towards the water and then they waited.
'Cain?' Kyoko couldn't help to feel a bit worried when they passed the minute mark but Setsu only smirked.
'Nii-san sure likes his baths.' She mused at the same time the water seemed to bulge in the middle. It took her only a moment to realize it was the top of Cain's head that broke the surface tension. No one dared to breathe except Setsu who suddenly seemed to gasp for air.
As soon as his eyes left the water, he opened them and revealed the blood red colour. The siblings' eyes gravitated towards each other and Cain held her gaze hostage while he slowly moved out of the water's grasp.
Kyoko felt goosebumps clash with the fire in her body. His slow ascend was so smooth and flawless she could hardly tell that he was moving up stairs.
Cain's feet reached the edge and he stepped out of the water, still with Setsu's gaze in a firm hold.
She didn't know when she had started to breathe through her mouth and she also didn't care.
"And cut!" Wells called out and cut through the suspense like a whip. "Really great! I think that one was a total home run." Wells continued and he seemed a bit out of breath. Cain broke the connection between them and pulled a hand through his wet hair.
Setsu followed his movement and couldn't help to feel like the cameras should have continued to roll. With one side of Cain's hair pulled back and with the other plastered to the skin, you couldn't help to get caught staring.
'He… he is beautiful.' Kyoko exhaled when the water, lights and the contrasting hair pulled focus to his beautifully sculpted face. Kyoko didn't want to do anything else but trace light kisses across his cheekbones and then follow the line of his jaw with her sensitive lips.
'Good idea.' Setsu thought and added it to her 'to-do list' for later. Kyoko gasped in shock mentally when she realised where her thoughts had taken her and she organized a few half-finished excuses in her head before she gave up.
"Setsuka-san. I have okayed the sequence. We are moving on to the last scene." Wells said and Setsu took a step onto the platform. "I want you to stand at the same spot as you finished the last frame and then slowly walk beside Heel-san when he closes in on the edge." Wells said and walked alongside the pool to demonstrate.
"When Heel-san is out, you walk behind him and around his side. I want to see you fall for him and you have to show how irresistible he is. Remember that he is supposed to smell really well, this is a commercial for a scent after all." Wells instructed and Setsu listened.
'He didn't tell me HOW to show that I feel him irresistible.' Kyoko grumbled but Setsu couldn't feel real worry behind her words.
'It is up to us then. No holding back.' Setsu thought and felt the sting of nervousness in her host.
'I-I know…' Kyoko mentally stuttered and Setsu glanced up at Cain only to see a wrinkle between his eyebrows.
'Even Nii-san seems worried.' Setsu chuckled in the cover of their mind. Kyoko took a mental lap around the borders of their head but couldn't find anywhere to hide. They would need her emotions to pass the next obstacle and Setsu wouldn't let her escape.
'Come on, Kyoko. This will be FUN.' Setsu purred and mercilessly dragged the wailing girl closer to the surface.
.
.
.
Ren couldn't help but feel worried.
The girl he knew wouldn't be able to do a scene like the one Wells demanded, especially not without his help. He had a trick to make a girl seem yearning for him and it usually worked well with shy girls like Kyoko. It was equal parts manipulation and flirting but neither were tactics that he could use out in the open in their current situation.
He could demand a break and work the girl up behind the scenes but something stopped him from opening his mouth.
'I really should…' Ren thought but felt the mental hindrance again. Kyoko moved into position and Wells turned to him.
'Last chance. I really should…'
"Heel-san. Ready when you are." Wells called and Cain felt a bit gleeful when the director flinched as their eyes met.
Ren turned around without speaking up and glanced at Kyoko standing on the edge to his right. Her face softened slightly when they locked eyes and he couldn't sense even the slightest bit of doubt.
Ren walked down the rest of the steps and carefully slipped beneath the surface. The water was ice cold but it felt like a blessing considering what their next scene would entail. Cain slowly turned around without disturbing the surface and gripped the handles that had been fitted to the sides. He stilled and focused on the mental image in his head.
'A demon; a being of evil and mercilessness.' He didn't know how to turn completely evil but he could use parts of Kuon's past to colour his surface in convincing confidence and sadism.
He still had a good amount of air in his lungs but the light was aimed at him and the surface was flat as a mirror.
Cain ascended slowly, letting the water flow around him rather than forcing it upwards. He put his feet on the first step and broke the surface. He closed his eyes until they passed the waterline and then snapped them open. He moved up and out of the cold water and felt Setsu move alongside him. He took an additional step forward when his feet left the water to allow the girl to circle behind him.
If he wanted to help her, he should move his head her way and catch her gaze, but Ren shocked himself by doing nothing. He realized why the moment later.
He didn't want to help her. He wanted to see what she would be able to do by herself.
'Maybe I am a sadist?' Ren thought as he forced Cain to stay completely still and keep his eyes on the camera.
She first touched his left shoulder and dragged her nails across his back. She was fire against his cold skin. He felt the flutter of fabric against his right hand when she moved to his front.
The hand that had traced his back landed on his upper arm and her other hand made contact to his stomach. She placed it surprisingly low and Ren had to steel his surface further. She painted fire on his skin when she slid her hand up over his stomach and chest.
He wondered if he imagined it when he felt a slight tremor in her hand.
She moved it higher, over his collarbone and to the angle of his jaw. He felt her thumb on his face and he marvelled by how smoothly she managed to force his face towards hers by adding a slight pressure on his jaw while she slid her thumb towards his chin.
Cain let it happen and moved his gaze down to hers. Ren stumbled inside his mind with the force in her eyes and Kuon was left paralyzed in a corner. Cain managed to keep his façade alive but, on the inside, he was boiling.
There was no way to misinterpret her expression when her eyes burned with a famished hunger and her lips were wet and slightly swollen from her biting it. She exhaled a low sound through her lips but he was too entranced to grasp what it was.
The demon was still present in the sternness of her eyes but her air made his knees weak. He couldn't stop his arms from trapping her but forced his eyes away. He found the camera and caught it with his gaze again. Setsu relaxed into his arms and her hand landed over his lower rib cage on the left side. It was a sweet ticklish torture and Ren begged Wells to call for the cut.
Nothing happened around them. The light was too strong for him to see what kept the people from reacting. Setsu, however, whimpered silently in his arms and he felt the slight tremor in her hand again.
He held one hand in the small of her back and another on her shoulder blade. The trembling travelled over her body until he also could feel it in her back.
Her back faced against the camera and her head was turned to show her profile. The air was thick with emotions and Cain felt like it was harder to breathe. He wanted to look at her when the soft whimper slipped out of her again and wondered what her face showed.
"Wells!" Akioka's voice cut through the silence and Cain felt a hint of relief.
"Oh! Cut!" Wells called out and Cain turned his head to his sister again. Ren couldn't help to feel breathless when her bottomless eyes trapped him with her hunger and pulled him in.
Kuon leaned down but Cain changed direction until he could plant a kiss between her brows.
"Setsu." He called her attention because he couldn't recognize the girl in his arms. Her face was neither his sister nor Kyoko and it scared him.
Her face slowly morphed into his sister's satisfied smirk and Cain's heart felt safe enough to lower its pace.
"Nii-san." She greeted and the emotions in her eyes ebbed out into a deep calm that felt safer for them both. "Why is the water cold?" She asked and slipped her hand up and down his side like to slowly rub some heat back into him.
"To tighten the skin." He answered simply but thanked the cold liquid for keeping his blood occupied at more safe areas than his extremities.
"I see." Setsu said and dragged her hand up over his chest. Ren flinched mentally when she accidently passed the hard nub that was his nipple and it caused a jolt of electricity to course through his body.
"As long as we don't have to reshoot this more than a few times, there is no problem." Cain said while Ren died again. He could not survive many retakes, if even one.
"Wow. I don't think that will be necessary." Wells said beside Cain and the actor turned his head just to distract himself from Setsu's wandering hands. "Because this is the big scene, I want to do it again to catch a few more angles. Just to add some options. But this was great. Really great." Wells said with respect in his voice and Cain couldn't help to add some credit to the photographer's character.
"Do you need a break?" Wells continued and Cain glanced at Setsu by his side. She was completely relaxed and glanced at him like so say it was his decision.
"Get it over with." Cain said and let Setsu go. He turned back to the cold pool and actually felt himself relax when he took the first step inside. Setsu moved behind him to take her spot.
"Get ready for line-up 2! Camera standby!" Wells and Akioka called out and the crew shifted the heavy equipment to the side.
"See you soon Nii-san." Setsu smirked in his direction and Ren felt his heart do somersaults in his chest. He twitched a dark smile her way and when the crew called out that they were in position, Cain descended into his dark grave to be reborn again.
..
.
..
Kyoko was crying out in love overdose inside her head. Her mind was filled with the la-la land of fire and ice and Setsu watched in amusement while Kyoko made a mental fool out of herself.
'You did well.' Setsu said and Kyoko cried louder to drown out the sister's voice.
'I don't want to do it again.'
'Don't lie. You want to do it again, and a bit too much too. Try to remember that I'm his sister.' Setsu couldn't help to tease the girl that was battling with her emotions.
"Everyone on your marks!" Wells said and Setsu fixed her stance. Cain took the final step into the dark water and she marvelled how little he stirred the surface.
'One more time. Just like before.' Setsu smirked and grabbed the mental collar of her host. She pulled the wailing Kyoko closer to the surface once again and steeled her face to fit the scene. The water calmed down beside her and Wells called out for the cameras.
"And go!" He said and Akioka quickly snapped the clicker in front of the closest camera. Kyoko felt the tingle of excitement and terror through her spine when Cain's dark hair broke the surface once again.
...
.
They only shot the scene one more time and then everyone was sent to dine. Setsu grumbled loudly while Cain explained that the photoshoot demanded him to skip food but then let him out on the joined terrace to smoke while she hunted down some drinks for them both.
The outdoor terrace stretched alongside the building and around the corner. There was just one single door and a few chairs and tables spread around. Cain had walked around the corner in search of privacy and found a secluded area.
It was there Ren found himself with his forehead to the schist wall desperately trying to calm his heart.
'Twice. She pulled me under twice.' Ren shivered when his mind replayed the depth of her eyes and the tremor in her fingers.
He felt like she had set him on fire and not even the cold rain could quench the flames.
'Who was it?' Ren grumbled for himself but could feel the first tug at the corner of his mouth.
'I didn't recognize her at all.'
'Keep it together.' Kuon tried to rile him in but without success. The smile tugged on his unwilling lips and Ren glanced around before he let himself feel for a moment. The smile stretched from ear to ear and a slight chuckle even managed to escape his lips.
He had a hard time accepting what he had seen reflected on her face but the hope in his heart didn't care and expanded to every corner of his body.
..
.
..
Kyoko found Cain on the terrace in the drizzling rain with a damp cigarette slowly burning between his teeth. He was still drenched in water from the pool but had received a coat to keep himself warm.
"Nii-san." She called his attention and he turned her way without haste. "The blond guy said we had an hour to buff before the photos." She said with a sigh and handed him a bottle of water. He took it without hesitation and unscrewed the lit.
"You should eat." Cain pointed before he tilted the bottle to his lips. Setsu snorted in dislike.
"If you don't eat, neither will I." She threw him a challenging glare that he kindly ignored.
"I have to show my upper body. You don't."
"I do." Setsu said and saw her brother freeze. "At least my bare back."
"What?" Cain turned to her with an anger that had Kyoko's grudges shivering in delight.
"Wells just asked me if I was willing." Kyoko shivered mentally. The photographer had babbled on about a closed set and different ways to cover up. They just needed her back and maybe one side bare and Setsu had accepted before he was done rambling. "I have no problem with it."
"There is no way I will let that happen!" Cain growled and Setsu gave him a stern gaze when he killed the cigarette and began to drag her back by her hand.
"Nii-san." Setsu walked up beside him and put her hand on his chest to stop him. He didn't even seem to notice. "You will regret starting a fight here." She tried again and fished the envelope out of her bag. She had retrieved it when she needed money for the water bottles.
Cain seemed to catch her movement because he glanced at the side to her hand.
"Why?" He slowed down his pace and finally came to a stop when she refused to speak as long as he still pulled her hand.
"Because I got a present for you." She said and pulled the key card out to show him. She held it between her pointer and middle finger and probably covered some of the printed letters. Setsu thought she had to adjust her grip for him to see but Cain had already started to smirk.
"I see." He said while the smirk threatened to transform into a genuine smile. He nodded at her bag and she put the cardkey back in the envelope before returning it to the safety of her bag. He pulled her hand again and she was forced to pick up the pace.
"I thought you wouldn't pick a fight." She pouted when he pulled her towards Wells and the set.
"I won't, but I don't like it. Actually, I hate it." Cain said with a hard frown her way. Setsu just lifted an eyebrow to question his mood. He was frowning but the smirk still played his lips.
He noticed her confusion and the smirk grew.
"Let's get this over with." He said and Setsu relaxed with an amused snort.
"In a hurry suddenly, Nii-san?" She teased and he carded a hand through his hair. He didn't answer her question but made Wells promise that the beauticians would be ready after a half hour of buffing. Setsu smirked when she followed her brother to the weights again.
.
The familiar burn of his arms and shoulders was a welcome distraction, but it was far from enough for him.
Setsu had lasted all of ten minutes of boredom before she had glanced at the stand of weights with curiosity.
At the moment she was right in front of him with one foot on the floor and the other knee on a bench. She had one hand on the bench and the other held a five-kilo weight dangling just to the side of it. Her upper body was parallel with the bench as she lifted her elbow towards the ceiling by letting it glide against her side.
Cain had done the same exercise just moments earlier and he was impressed with how precisely she had managed to copy his style.
Ren, however, was in pain. He had switched to chin ups again. When he reached the top, he could see her back working and when he lowered, he got a distracting view of her legs and behind.
It was something about a woman working out with full determination, clad in a corset dress and sky-high heels. A groan slipped out of him but he could blame it on his fifteenth cycle.
He had overdone it with his arms and they protested loudly against the harsh treatment.
Setsu switched side and Ren gave up and laid down on the floor to start working on his abs.
He purposely didn't look her way when he made the first crunch. He managed about thirty more before his eyes started to wander. Setsu was standing and curled one weight in either hand up against her chest.
'She is stronger than I thought.' Kuon commented while Cain forced their gaze away.
'She has worked in a ryokan all her life and she is running around everywhere.' Ren thought and smiled inwards. Cain finished the crunches and got up on his feet.
He moved to a leaning stand and glanced around on the floor. He wanted to work on his lower back but needed something to weigh down his upper body with.
"Setsu." He called her attention and she put the weights down on the bench to her side. "Do you see a 50-kilo weight somewhere?"
"Why?" She asked and stepped up beside him.
"I have to weigh down my upper body. I used a 25 before but it was far from enough." Cain said and Ren rolled his eyes mentally.
'Boasting, are we?' Kuon questioned but a towel started to wipe his arms the next moment and he turned his focus to Setsu.
"Can you manage 52?" Setsu asked and moved to wipe the sweat off his chest.
'52?' Kuon thought but then caught her smirk. 'Ohh. Yes!'
"It's perfect." Cain smirked and Setsu answered with her own smile. "Move here." He pointed and Setsu followed. He climbed onto the device that fixated his legs to be straight from the hip down. He was a bit too tall for the maximum setting and it ended on his upper thigh instead. His lower body was fixated in a leaning position forward and he had to use his core strength to keep himself elevated.
Cain smirked and leaned forward to pick up the 52 kilos weight that was his sister and cradled her in his arms.
"Cosy." Setsu smirked and adjusted the dress to cover her more decently. Cain adjusted her legs in his one arm and pulled her closer.
"Stay still." He ordered and Setsu clicked her tongue to tell him it was an unnecessary comment. Of course she would stay still.
Ren listened to Kuon's songs of praise as Cain started to move. He let his shoulders relax as he lowered towards the floor and Setsu didn't tilt to the side in the slightest.
His lower back already protested about the added weight and Cain straightened his back again. He felt the muscles tremble and repeated the motion. He managed about five before his eyes and his nose pulled his focus. Her fragrance had been hidden beneath the smell of makeup but the heat between them made it come to life again.
She had to be some kind of supernatural being. There should not be a woman that made his heart and body burn like this just by existing. She glanced up at him through her eyelashes and the sexy smile on her lips stopped his heart.
'She can't be of this world.' Ren thought while Cain went to sucker punch their paralyzed life-support back to function.
"Heels!" Wells' voice was like a slash to cut the tension between them but Cain didn't stop moving. His lower back burned and trembled when the photographer rounded the corner.
"Woahh."
Setsu turned his head towards Wells and lifted an eyebrow.
"Wow. You are devoted." Wells sounded amazed and Cain frowned. He guessed their time was over and carefully lowered Setsu back to the ground standing. Wells watched them with a wide smile on his lips.
"What is it?" Setsu asked as she adjusted the corset.
"We are ready for you." Wells said and pointed over his shoulder with a thumb. Cain saw Setsu glance his way with a warm look and extended her hand for him to hold. He took it in his and they followed Wells back to set.
..
.
Kyoko had a hard time keeping her face straight when her mind replayed what happened just moments earlier.
Ren's breath had fanned the fire in her gut and his smell had been so concentrated it made her mind fuzzy. She still felt a bit out of it when the makeup-team caught her and shrouded her in a cloud of powder.
She felt like it was only moments later that Wells called her attention and Cain once again wrapped his arms around her.
"Setsuka-chan please turn your head a bit more forward." Wells called out and Kyoko was brought back from her daydreaming.
'What did he say? Is it time already?' Kyoko stumbled around in her mind to catch up to what happened and saw the big camera pointed her way. 'Oh!'
'What was I supposed to do again?' Setsu had been pulled down to the outskirts of la-la-land too and hadn't heard what Wells said.
Cain's hand caught her jaw gently and angled it forward.
"Perfect!" Wells called and Setsu relaxed. She had her back to Cain's chest and they were slightly angled away from the camera.
'They are able to show his body in this angle. I see.' Kyoko thought and made her face more intense.
"Nice Setsuka-chan." Wells called and the shutter sounded.
Kyoko felt uncertain but Setsu refused to let it show on her face and Cain angled her body to perfection. Kyoko had no idea how long they stayed standing before Wells ordered them to the bed.
Cain rested on his back with a hand leisurely in his neck. Setsu had started to grasp the feeling they wanted and climbed on top of her brother. Wells took a lot of pictures from the side and then shifted the light to be able to shoot them from above.
"Nice! Keep it sensual." Wells ordered when he had taken his position on the floating rig.
"Setsu." Cain called and she tilted her face towards him. He captured her gaze and she craned her neck to get even closer to him. When only a centimetre separated them, Cain broke away and glared up on the camera with his dark red eyes.
Kyoko couldn't help feeling a sensation of loss when he turned his eyes away but Setsu transformed it into longing and Wells seemed to pass it. The sound of the shutter was the only thing that kept her grounded and Setsu managed to blend her and Kyoko's emotions flawlessly into the image Wells wanted.
"You are too good at this." Wells called out with delight and called out orders to everyone to change setup again. Setsu relaxed on Cain's chest and gave him a slight smirk.
"Looks like it will be an early evening." She lit the fire in her eyes and it spread to his before the beauticians eagerly started to pull her away.
.
.
.
Kyoko stared at the beautician in front of her and the two skin-coloured stickers in her hands.
'That's it?' Kyoko felt the horror paralyze her body while Setsu kept her unbothered face. A slight frown was the only reaction she let past.
"You don't have to worry. They are almost impossible to get off!" The beautician smiled widely with a selling expression. Setsu lifted an eyebrow to question. "Ahh! You can take a hot shower with a lot of soap to get them off. Then it is no problem!"
'No problem! This… this doesn't cover me in the slightest!'
'Calm down. You know Ren. He won't look.' Setsu sighed and grabbed the stickers from the girl. She smiled happily and slipped out of the changing booth to let Setsu apply them in peace.
'Why?!' Kyoko shouted out in the empty void as Setsu let the dress fall to the ground. She quickly pulled on the nude shorts and then placed the stickers where they should be. Kyoko couldn't clench the sense of panic that bubbled up in her chest and she began to breathe hard.
"Setsuka-san?" One from the makeup team called from the outside and Setsu snapped into control. "I found a black robe. Pull it on while we wait." The girl said with a kind tone and her hand reached inside with a silk robe in its grip.
Setsu couldn't unclench the jaw that Kyoko had locked but took the offered fabric and pulled it on. She tied the belt around her tightly and she managed to make the movements smooth.
Setsu glanced into the mirror and saw the Heel sibling to one hundred percent. Kyoko was struggling with the panic in their chest but they should be alright as long as she didn't speak.
'Just a little bit more.' Setsu cooed and then walked out with just a slight tremble in her legs.
.
.
.
Cain stayed in the bed while they waited and one beautician moved around him with some hairspray. He caught sight of the pale hair that belonged to his sister at his side and turned his head her way, disregarding the loud curses of the beautician.
He immediately sensed that something was wrong when he saw her expression and he tensed.
'What? Something happened.' Ren felt the worry in his gut swirl and he got up on one arm.
The beautician cursed even louder but Cain didn't care.
"Setsuka-chan. Don't worry. We are all professionals." Wells called in a soothing tone and Ren noticed the robe.
'Oh.' Ren remembered what Setsu had agreed to do. 'Damn.'
Kuon perked up and Cain had to fight his feelings when Ren felt delighted horror, Kuon excitement and he himself worried about his sister's emotions.
She didn't look wrong but he felt like she was on the edge. He had felt it once before, like she was about to vanish into thin air if he didn't catch her soon enough.
Cain slipped off the bed and stood in front of her. She glanced right through his chest for a moment and then tilted her head to his.
'She is terrified.' Ren realized but also saw the determination in her eyes. 'She doesn't want to back down.' His heart clenched for her and sought for an answer in her eyes.
"Help me finish this!" Her eyes spoke clearly to him and he nodded slightly.
"Are you alright?" Wells asked from above and Cain glanced up.
"How do you want us?" He asked and Wells smiled.
"On the bed. You on your back and Setsuka-chan half on your chest with a bare back. We will cover her up to the lower back with the black satin." Akioka said with a snort and Cain turned his gaze to his sister again. He leaned down to her ear.
"Relax. I got you." Ren breathed into her ear and then reached out for the belt. She didn't move when he undid it and then pushed the robe of her shoulders. Ren held their eyes locked the whole time and he felt her tension lessen.
She managed a little smirk when he led her towards the bed and when she crawled up on his chest, she fully relaxed again.
.
.
Kyoko wanted to dance in joy when she pulled her own clothes back on inside the changing booth. She was mentally exhausted but the satisfaction of finishing a job pulsated through her body.
'Good job.' Setsu said with a gentle smile and Kyoko shivered in delight.
"They did really well. I never thought we would finish before schedule." A voice carried in from the outside and Kyoko couldn't help the satisfied smile on her face.
"We might even be able to get everything together for Fuwa-san's promo today." Another answered and Kyoko dropped her smile like if it had burned her.
'Fuwa…'
"I can't wait for tomorrow." A girl squealed and Kyoko exhaled in relief.
"You don't have to wait for tomorrow." The first voice said again with a triumphant tone. "I heard that he would stop by the wardrobe today. He could arrive any moment!"
Kyoko pulled on her last piece of clothing with the speed of lightning and grabbed her bag before she pushed the drapes to the side.
"Oh Setsuka-san. Nice work today." A blond beautician smiled her way and Setsu gave her a slight nod before she walked past.
'We have to find Cain.' Setsu took longer strides and exhaled when she almost ran into Cain outside her booth.
"We have to go." Setsu said with a pointed stare and a hint of confusion changed his features.
"Fine." He said and grabbed her hand.
"Heels!" Wells called from behind and Setsu gritted her teeth but turned around.
"Thank you for today." Setsu bent her head slightly in a bow as Wells walked up to them.
"It's me that should thank you. You exceeded my expectations!" Wells smiled and reached out his hands to shake theirs. They were supposed to be from England so neither of them hesitated.
'We really should go now.' Kyoko though and glanced at the entrance. The door was slightly open but no one moved in the proximity of it.
"We are leaving." Setsu said with a sort of finality to the words.
"Oh, don't let me keep you!" Wells said with a smile. "Thank you again for an intriguing day." Wells said with a bow. "Let me get Aki-chan to escort you out."
"No need. We know the way." Setsu said and pulled Cain's hand to make him move.
"Bye!" Wells called with a final smile and then jogged back to the computer that stored all photos with the expression of a kid in a candy shop.
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Ren had no idea why Setsu suddenly pulled him out of the set with a worried wrinkle between her eyebrows. Cain didn't mind speeding up their retreat in the slightest, as some of the crew had started to look like wolves around his sister, and he followed her with his long strides.
"Setsu, is there something wrong?" Cain asked when they halted in front of the elevators and she impatiently bit her lip.
"I got word that a certain annoying singer would arrive any moment." Setsu said after glancing around for potential listeners.
Ren felt his mood take a turn for the worse at her words and he squeezed her hand slightly.
"I have nothing against an early night at the hotel." He smiled and Setsu relaxed beside him. A smirk replaced the frown and she glanced up at him.
"You and I, both." She exhaled slowly when the elevator doors slid open only to make a sharp inhale. Cain didn't need confirmation of who was in the elevator when Setsu tensed and squeezed his hand.
Cain glanced to the side and felt his mood darken. Ren didn't like the person in the elevator in the slightest but even Cain developed a strong feeling of dislike when he saw the singer devour his sister with a clear interest in his eyes.
Kuon burned with the fight and, for once, didn't Ren stop him.
..
Sho sighed as he stepped into Queen records and headed for the elevator. Shoko had dropped him off at the front of the building while she parked the car. It was late afternoon and he only saw three people on the way to the elevators.
The doors opened as soon as he pushed the button and he stepped inside. He knew the building like the back of his hand after several hundred hours of recording both videos and music with the company.
Sho relaxed against the cold mirror behind him and exhaled.
'Just one last job today.' He thought as he scratched his arms. He had finished one show and a minor photoshoot during the day but everything had dragged on with time.
The photographer for example had used live spiders to crawl on his arms and the little monsters hadn't been still for more than one or two frames.
'I can still feel them crawling on my skin.' Sho shivered and rubbed both arms and his neck in disgust. He had acted indifferent but the truth was that they had freaked him out to no end.
'I want to take a shower.' He whined mentally before the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.
Sho couldn't help to stare at the pair that waited outside. One was a tall guy all dressed in black and the other was a girl lethal as a black widow. Sho felt a strange sort of connection with the girl as she turned her gaze to him.
'Well, I wouldn't mind her climbing all over me.' Sho thought and took everything from the piercing in her lip to her long legs and imprinted it in his mind. Her confident stance and her revealing clothes made him smirk.
He only had a moment to take her in before the other person started to move. He turned to the man and got struck with a strange feeling of familiarity.
"Do I know you?" Sho asked before his mind stopped him.
Sho felt himself flinch when he saw the ice-cold murder in the man's eyes. The tall man was clouded in a dangerous air and Sho's heart almost stopped.
'I don't know anyone like this. Shit! Did I enrage the boyfriend?' He had time to think before his back slammed into the mirror with the man's hand gripping his shirt.
'Shit!' Sho thought and stared with wide eyes up on the man that towered over him. The same strange feeling of recognition filled Sho beneath the layers of fright.
"Whoa!" He managed to get out while he raised his hands.
"What are you looking at?" The dangerous man asked in English and Sho had to process the words before he got their meaning.
"I'm sorry, man. I only looked! But… do I know you?" Sho stammered out in English and the man lifted an eyebrow in slight surprise. He hadn't been able to stop himself from asking again with eyes wide of fright.
"Nii-san." The girl's voice sounded and Sho could only hint her movement in the corner of his eyes. She pushed the button for the entry floor again and the doors slid close behind her.
"He looks scared." He could hear her smirk.
'I'm trapped!' Passed his mind before Sho tried to gather himself again. He closed his mouth and straightened his back to seem taller. 'I didn't do anything wrong! I only looked.' He thought and pulled a steadying breath to clear his mind. 'She called him Nii-san. So, not her boyfriend but her brother.'
"He dares to eye you but gets scared when I talk to him?" The tall man asked with a mocking tone and the girl stepped up beside him.
"Maybe he likes you? Sounds like he wants to pick you up, asking if he knows you…" The girl sounded like she pitied him and Sho felt the fear give away for confusion. "Maybe he tried to size up his competition when he looked at me?" Sho dared a quick glance to the side and saw her mocking expression.
"I did not!" Sho gasped out in shock when her words translated to him.
'She said what?'
The tall man snickered evilly and gripped Sho's jaw.
"You are not allowed to look at her either way."
"You are not allowed to look at my brother either." She added and Sho opened and closed his mouth twice before he found his tongue again.
"There is no way I would check out a man!" He spat out and both siblings smirked mockingly his way.
"In denial." The girl said with a smirk and Sho felt the frustration boil in his chest.
'What the hell?!' The doors opened behind them and the tall man let go of his shirt.
"Let's go before he asks you out." The girl said and the tall man followed with a smirk on his lips.
Sho couldn't help to follow them out with staggering steps.
"Hey! I didn't flirt with either of you!" He called out after them but they ignored him completely. Sho breathed like if he had run a race while his words echoed in the grand hall.
'Shit!' He thought when the two girls at the front desk and two additional people stared at him with slight interest. 'Shit. Shit. Shit.' Sho cursed mentally and tried to compose his face.
He turned around and pushed the button for the elevator again. Someone else had called for it during the moment he had been away and Sho had to endure a tortuous minute waiting.
'They probably don't even know English.' He thought and exhaled slowly.
"Isn't that Fuwa Sho?" One voice asked behind him in a carrying whisper.
"Why did he have to say he didn't want EITHER of them?" Another voice followed.
Sho just wanted the earth to swallow him whole when all hope left him.
.
.
Ren had barely closed the door behind them before the laughter in his body boiled over. He hunched over, clenching his stomach and tears formed in the corner of his eyes. It only took a moment before Kyoko's giggle joined him. As soon as it started, the laugh seemed to get a life of its own. Ren crumbled against the wall and Kyoko slumped against the bed.
"Did you see his face?" Kyoko managed to get out between wheezing breaths and it set off another giggling fit.
It was liberating in a way that Ren had forgotten. It took several minutes before their laughter calmed down enough to let them breathe.
'It was a long time ago I let loose like this.'
'Since the dark moon ad lib, I think.' Kuon smiled honestly and soaked in the glow. The air was thin and so easy to breathe that he felt a bit lightheaded.
"Ren?" Kyoko's voice called his attention and he turned his head her way with a smile.
"Hmm?" He asked and saw her sit on the floor while leaning against the only bed in the room. Her face was slightly flushed and tears had made rivers down her cheeks. She looked absolutely beautiful.
"Thank you. For today." She said with a smile and Ren felt his heart do some exercise in his ribcage.
"It was my pleasure." Ren said and the genuine smile grew on his lips. He couldn't help to catch the shiver that shook her body before she completely fell to the floor. A twitch of worry caught his gut before he saw her bright red ears.
'She is embarrassed.' Ren smiled and returned to soak in the pleasant feeling. There were a lot of things on his mind that he had to deal with and process but he ignored them for the moment to enjoy their little piece of heaven.
"Ren!" Kyoko called again and he saw her wave his way with her head still pressed to the floor. "Please, take a shower first!" Her voice trembled and Ren couldn't help but smile.
A shower sounded great and he knew she would need some time to collect herself. He could give her that.
Ren slowly got up on his feet and found a change of his clothes that had been placed on the drawer to his right.
'The President must have set this up.' He thought with a smile and put the chain on the front door into place, just in case.
"I will go ahead then." Ren smiled and slipped inside the bathroom.
The hotel was luxurious and the bathroom had both a Jacuzzi and a steam shower. Ren didn't hesitate and filled the tub with scalding hot water. He pulled a hissing breath when he climbed inside but soon filled up with pleasure instead. His tortured muscles sighed when the hot water forced them to relax.
Ren let his head be free of thoughts as long as possible while he adjusted to the heat.
Unfortunately, there were other personalities with different plans in his head.
'Hunger.' Kuon sent the thought into the void and Ren felt his heart react. 'Lust.'
'I couldn't recognize her.' Ren picked up on his trail of thought as he knew he had to deal with it anyhow.
'But you can't deny what you saw.' Kuon pushed on.
'There is no way Setsu would be able to look like that. Those feelings were from Kyoko.' Cain said with confidence and Ren carded a hand through his hair. It felt like his mind pulled at the foundation of his soul and made his whole persona unstable. If that thought was correct, he would never be able to turn back to his old state of mind.
Ren frowned and forced his thoughts to start at one end.
'If she is able to feel THAT… since when?' Ren began and raked his mind.
'At the Dark moon party… I'm sure she didn't understand my feelings then. So, after that.' Kuon thought and Ren could only second that.
'So rather recently.' Ren couldn't help to remember every line they had crossed in Guam. Her teasing had stepped up a level and she had called him se….
'Don't think about it!' Ren cursed for himself. 'Even if she has discovered THOSE feelings, it doesn't have to be because of you! A lot of things happened. The whole thing with her mother, and Sho appeared again. She had her work and the brothers that shared a dinner with her only a few days ago.' Ren forced his mind off the dangerous track.
'Even if it isn't about us. I never thought that Kyoko…' Kuon sighed with a frown. 'But you can't deny it. No one can fake desire like that.'
'Then she is able to feel desire… She is able to see me as a man.' Ren thought the revelation would excite him but it made his heart tremble with fear.
'Why now? Why so suddenly?' Ren thought as he slid down until only his mouth and nose were above the surface.
'WHO caused the change?' Kuon voiced what they all feared.
"Ren." Kyoko's voice called out from his memories and Ren gasped for air. He sat up straight and grabbed the sides of the tub while the voice echoed inside his mind.
"Ren." He closed his eyes and saw her lips form his name.
'What?' Ren put a hand over his mouth and stared at the water without seeing. He hadn't been able to hear her the first two times but his mind had stored it somewhere in his head.
He vividly recalled her face full of desire, exhaling the word during the shoot.
'Why?' Ren couldn't stay seated and stood up while his mind tried to wrap around what had happened. 'She should have been Setsu… Why? Why did she say my name?' Ren felt a heat climb on his face that had nothing to do with the hot bath. 'Why did she say my name when she needed to bring out the feeling of desire?'
Ren couldn't help the confused laugh that slipped past his lips when his mind processed everything in his memory.
'No way.' Kuon also smiled when the thought registered.
However, Ren was too deep into thought to act careful of his surroundings. He took a careless step and slipped on the slick bottom of the tub.
His head hit the porcelain edge with a dull sound and his train of thought cut short.
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Author's note:
I'm so mean! SPOILER ALERT - (Ren is not seriously hurt, no worries)
Thank you everyone. This one is a bit shorter than I wanted. I managed to catch a flu and spend most of the week sleeping. I pulled about 15h sleep a day and got seriously behind schedule.
I managed to keep the deadline at least! Woot.
Thank you everyone for reviewing my story. Your comments are like small treasures that I hold dear to my heart. You are my inspiration and motivation.
That's it for this time.
Love from Sweden.