Heels 21
Sorry again for the cliffhanger. But I made the two-week deadline!
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!
Once again, I will not take this to a rating higher than the manga (With Lory watching porn on his phone and Kanae talking about Ren's lower parts I think I stay just on the edge with this chapter—and the ones following).
Hihi pooooor Ren. I put this guy through a lot.
Let's begin! Merry Christmas and everything if I can't find enough time to write before then!
Recap...
Noone would ever be able to bring another Mary-Ann into the world that would rival her creation. The tension in Kyoko's body melted like warm honey. Only confidence and pride was left.
She even felt confidence to ask the question she had tried to ignore since the script ended up in her hands. She snapped her head towards Ren and she could see him flinch back in surprise.
"I have one question." Kyoko asked and she fought the blush that already tried to take over her cheeks. She didn't stop herself as she knew that the answer to the question could make Mary-Ann completely without a flaw.
"I will do my best to answer." Ren choked out and Kyoko cleared her throat once before she trapped his eyes with hers.
"What does sex feel like?" She asked and saw that Ren stopped breathing.
….. end of recap…
'W-what?!' Ren felt the question pass through his mind like a hailstorm, leaving holes and destruction in its path.
'I must have heard wrong.' Ren thought and ripped his eyes from hers to be able to gather his mind somewhat. He didn't reap much progress with that task as the synapses refused to work around the emmentaler-like structure that was left of his brain.
"Excuse me, what did you say?" Ren asked and Kyoko tilted her head slightly.
"What does sex feel like?" She repeated, slower and clearer than before. His expression must have been horrible for her to speak like you would with someone drunk.
'Well, I didn't hear wrong.'
"Why are you asking?" Cain asked for him and Ren couldn't complain. It was a good question.
"If I'm going to act like I want sex, I think I could act better if I know what it is that I want." Kyoko tilted her head a bit more and Ren had to force his hands to open so that he wouldn't leave imprints from his nails into his palm. He took a pair of deep breaths and found that the most part of his brain cooperated again. He understood her reasoning, but he couldn't figure out how she could ask HIM about it.
"You should ask a woman that question instead." He said and saw her slump back into the backrest.
"I don't have a woman around me that I could ask without making them worry too much." She sighed and gripped her elbow and rested her chin in her hand.
"How about Mom?"
'You asked the woman you love, to talk about sex with your mom? The mom that knows that you love this woman?' Justin whistled out an impressed sound and Ren forced his nails out of his palms again.
"That would be too embarrassing." Kyoko frowned.
'And asking me wasn't?' Ren gasped inside his head. He had no idea what to think any more.
'Am I only a guide to her acting? Does she even remember that I'm a man? Or that I have spoken about my desire for her twice already?' Ren's face fell for a moment before several memories popped up in his head that comforted him that she both saw him as a friend and as a man. The confused expression on his face returned and he aimed it towards her.
Kyoko bit her lip and the blush deepened. She let go of a small sigh and gave him a regretful expression as an answer.
"I asked you because I trust you, Ren. You would give me an answer that I would be able to understand. I might know you better than most people. But you know me better than even myself." Kyoko chuckled slightly and put her hands on her knees and planted her feet firmly on the floor. It looked like she was about to leave. He followed her with his eyes and wet his lips.
"Let me think about it until after dinner." He heard himself say and Kyoko suddenly beamed a happy smile his way but soon schooled it into a more neutral one.
"You really don't have to answer." Kyoko shook her head and waved her hands from side to side to punctuate the words. "But I would appreciate it if you did." Kyoko couldn't hide how happy she was and Ren found himself smiling back.
'You are sooo doomed!' Justin laughed inside his head and Ren could only agree.
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Kyoko returned to her room soon after he had agreed to answer as his expression became increasingly more troubled for every moment she stayed after that. He had said he needed time to think and it took a few hours before the phone in her room began to chime with an invitation for dinner.
The hotell had a secluded part of the dining hall reserved for the production staff. As everyone was busy with preparing the set, Kyoko found herself alone with Ren again.
"Hello." She greeted and he bent his head in return. He seemed a lot calmer than the last time she saw him and the blush climbed her cheeks again.
'I can't believe that I asked Ren that question.' Kyoko wailed inside her head. She hesitated for a moment and threw a glance towards the door and honestly considered running away. The hours separated had made her reflect upon her actions. She still didn't regret asking him but she realised how embarrassing the topic was. The smile on Ren's face grew wider.
"Please join me." He gestured towards the chair in front of him and Kyoko pulled a breath before sitting down. A waiter arrived as she did and she placed her order as he poured her a glass of water. He smiled politely and then hurried away to collect her food.
Kyoko felt like she was sitting on an anthill. She drank some water just to have something to do with her hands.
"I will answer your question to the best of my ability later." Ren said and Kyoko jumped high in her seat and flipped her eyes to him. "In return, you will have to answer one of my questions every day as long as we film this movie." Ren said and the smirk on his lips grew. She couldn't help but relax. His mood had improved significantly and she felt relieved that she hadn't made it strange between them.
"Of course." Kyoko nodded and leaned forward. "I will answer them all." She clenched her hand into a fist to show her fighting spirit. Ren chuckled slightly and nodded.
"Don't regret it later." He smirked as the waiter returned with her food. Kyoko quickly shook her head but then had to shift her focus to the food.
Ren changed the topic as they ate but both plates soon gaped empty as they were too nervous to eat slowly.
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They walked back towards their rooms and Kyoko took a detour through her own front door before she joined him by his lounge area.
Kyoko felt nervousness and excitement in equal amounts and sat down on the empty sofa to Ren's side. She caught him twitch a relieved smile when she didn't take the seat beside his. Ren then pulled several calming breaths and she stayed silent as she didn't want to disrupt his focus.
"Have you ever…" Ren began and she stayed perfectly still. He glanced at his hands and pulled another breath.
"Have you ever had an orgasm?" Ren asked and Kyoko tilted her head.
"No, that's why I'm asking how it feels." She couldn't help the confusion from coloring her voice.
"You can have an orgasm without having sex." Ren said and glanced at her quickly before eyeing the room. A frown grew on her brows in confusion.
"Oh." She said and crossed her legs. She propped her head up in her arm that found support against her knee.
"Then... Have you ever felt desire?" He continued after a brief paus.
'He is talking about the Hunger. And the molten metal in your lower stomach.' Setsuka helpfully provided and Kyoko exhaled.
"Yes." She said happily and nodded.
'You felt it only with him.' Natsu grinned and Kyoko fought the blush from burning too strong on her face.
Ren nodded and shifted slightly in his seat before continuing.
"It should have felt like something was stirring low in your stomach." Ren sounded uncertain and Kyoko quickly tried to provide her take of the feeling.
"It felt like scotch and like maybe a pressure below my belly button." She quickly placed her hands on her lower stomach to show him where. "Like something warm and heavy has settled here and slowly lights me aflame, but it doesn't hurt. It feels comfortable even." He quickly turned his eyes her way and then flipped them to the empty table in front of them. She saw him open his hands and put them flat down on his thighs. He slowly nodded before he continued speaking.
"Imagine that feeling, growing several times until it occupies your whole mind. It will build until it can't anymore and you will reach an edge." Ren said and Kyoko tried to imagine it. The molten liquid and the feeling of scotch burning. The demon-commercial popped up in her head and she remembered opening her mouth to try to drag her tongue over his abs while he was buffing. She had felt the pull strongly then and she had acted without realising it. She had wanted to touch him as she subconsciously knew that the feeling would grow even stronger if she did. Like on cue did the feeling return to her and she adjusted her seat.
The feeling was nestled low in her stomach and as she uncrossed and then crossed her legs again it flared a bit stronger. A broken breath sounded from Ren and she saw his eyes trace her legs. The pressure increased and she suddenly felt warm.
"What happens at the edge?" She asked and a shiver traveled through her body. Ren's eyes quickly turned away from her again and he licked his lips to moisten them.
"You tumble over. The feeling can only build so far before it spills over the edge. It will pull you over with it." Ren dragged his hand through his hair and she saw a frown on his brows. She feared he would stop explaining and leaned forward again.
"How does it feel to tumble over?" She asked and was surprised with how low her voice was.
"Have you ever felt any sort of bliss after having exercised hard?" Ren asked and Kyoko frowned but had to nod.
"After my ninja training. Nothing hurts even if it should and my body feels soft and comfortable." She said and Ren nodded.
"It feels like that."
Kyoko hummed and imagined it. It was a pleasant feeling and she could imagine that it would be even more pronounced if she could share it with someone else.
"No, it feels like that, just twenty times stronger." Ren changed his mind and Kyoko's throat closed up as she was about to exhale and a strange sound left her lips instead.
Ren snapped his eyes to hers when it happened and Kyoko couldn't even blink when the emperor of the night burned her every nerve into ash.
Her thighs clenched on their own and the feeling in her stomach spiked for a moment. Her lips parted and she pulled her lower lip between her teeth.
She didn't feel warm any more, she was burning.
'Twenty times that feeling... I think I would lose my mind if that happened.' Kyoko pressed her hands harder against her stomach as she let the emperor burn her. She saw him lean slightly towards her and how his eyes traced the lip between her teeth.
"It will feel like a ember, burning stronger and stronger until it sets off fireworks in your body. It won't burn, but feel like everything bothering you will disappear and it will be only white light as your body is feeling immense pleasure." Ren said with a low voice that seemed to travel straight into her gut. The ember flamed to life as their eyes met again.
It lasted for a few moments when suddenly Ren stood up and turned his back towards her. Kyoko stared in confusion as it felt like a rug got pulled out from under her feet.
She watched as he stood still, tense as a board and then walked up to the small refrigerator at the other end of the sofa. He opened it and pulled out a can of beer. Setsuka smirked inside her head as the gesture looked a lot like Cain was in control. Kyoko felt like the conversation was about to be cut again and she wet her lips as Ren opened the can and tilted it to his mouth.
"And that is how sex feels?" She asked and Ren slowly lowered the can again and frowned. She got the feeling that he thought about not answering but he turned back and sat on the sofa again.
"No, that is how an orgasm feels like. Sex is similar but also different." Ren said and he stared at the can in his hands like he tried to burn a hole into it.
"How is it different?" Kyoko asked and cleared her throat as her voice had cracked slightly.
"Sex is shared with someone. It's usually the act to make each other reach that edge and tumble over it. And the act to bring each other there is often as pleasurable as the tumble. Sex can be agressive, or relaxing, or playful….It depends on the partners." Ren dragged his thumb around the edge of the can repeatedly and the frown slowly melted off his brow. "You are trusting your partner with your own body and they do the same." Ren said and Kyoko tried to imagine it.
Pictures from when Ren had helped her during the topless shots for the demon commercial simmered up in her head. She had been scared but he had led her to feel safe and she had let him undress her without worry. She also remembered the ice that Cain had dragged over her body as a punishment. The land of fire and ice that had driven her almost insane with confusion and something else… She had trusted him again and the reward had been worth it. A soft smile grew on her lips when her heart grew fussy with gratitude towards the man by her side. She pounded over his words while he seemed to work his way to the bottom of the can in his hand. His words were not what she had expected to hear.
'I thought Sex was about making babies.' Kyoko thought and Setsuka hummed.
"I thought sex was more about making children." She said and saw Ren inhale deeply and then roll his neck like to force some tension away from it. It didn't seem to work as he gripped it the next moment.
"There are some areas of the body that are more sensitive than the others. The partners tries to simulate those areas during sex as it makes it easier to reach the edge. Two of the most sensitive parts are the same that are needed to make children." Kyoko's eyes couldn't help but wander down to glance at his groin. The blush grew on her face and she quickly flipped her eyes to a safer area. "The act is usually the same. The difference is if they are using protection or not. Evolution wants us to create the next generation and those sensitive places are there to even further motivate us to reproduce."
"Ohh." Kyoko choked out and bit her lip again.
"You can search for erogenous zones later to learn the different areas as they also are useful when acting. Flirting and seducing are often focused around those areas as they tease the mind to think about orgasm and pleasure." Ren provided and Kyoko glanced to the side. Her co-actor looked completely spent and she bit her tongue. She had learned a lot and she was glad she had asked. She had a better understanding but she would need a lot of thinking before sorting the information.
"Thank you, Ren." Kyoko relaxed and smiled warmly his way. His frown slowly relaxed when he turned to meet her gaze. He nodded slightly and pulled a long drink from the can before he put it on the table.
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Kyoko returned to her room and laid down on the bed and stared into the ceiling. She could distantly hear Ren's lock turn on their door and a few minutes later could she hear the soft sound of his shower.
'That was a lot of information.' Setsuka said and Kyoko could only agree. She had trouble putting it together and felt more confused than before she had asked. She frowned and then pulled out her phone. It wasn't the newest model but she could search simpler things online.
She followed Ren's advice and soon found what she needed. Most of the pictures didn't want to load but she felt that it was for the better. She read about the woman's zones first as she felt it was easier to relate too.
She read with an ever growing blush on her face. The page was harmless for the most part but her mind provided complementary memories and the heat that had stilled in the end of their conversation made a full comeback.
"Lips are full of nerve endings that make a potent erogenous zone. The most common way to stimulate it is by kissing." She read and traced her fingers over her lips. She remembered the many times she had kissed Ren. Sometimes soft as a peck and sometimes with enough pressure to make her believe that they had somehow melted together.
"Ears are sensitive enough to count as an erogenous zone. Lips, tongue and hot breaths are popular ways to stimulate this area." Kyoko remembered Cain's hot breaths that whispered into her ear in Guam. She had been pressed against the door and his breaths had traveled from her ear down into the molten liquid in her gut.
"Neck- popular place for love bites or hickeys…" Kyoko felt Ren trace the cold ice between his lips around her pulse point. A choked breath left her when the ice was replaced with his mouth and teeth that bit down at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.
"Nipples..." She quickly read the words following the title and she pulled the cover over her head to hide her full body blush from the world.
"Belly button." She gasped when Ren's tongue dipped inside it as he had sterilised the piercing.
"Butt." She could feel his fingers gripping her hips the day before and squeeze her behind as a greeting.
"Inner thighs." She could feel his hand warm up between her thighs after he had held her frozen drink in guam.
"Clito…" Kyoko put the phone down on the bed and took a few long breaths to try to calm her racing heart and the fire in her body. Her curiosity won out before she had succeeded and she continued to read down the page. The next picture had succeeded to load and she took her time studying it before she moved on to the male body.
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Ren pulled long calming breaths under the cold water from the shower.
'I survived.' He marveled and he frowned when he would hear the chuckle from Justin.
'Barely. That little moan she slipped almost made you "tumble over the edge". Thank god, for cold beverages and interesting tables.' Justin laughed until he had to clench his stomach and Ren groaned in frustration.
The character quickly caught his breath and continued the assault.
'Or when she said she never had an orgasm. I live inside your mind so I remember vividly what you were thinking then. Something like, "Let me…."'
'Shut up.' Ren cursed but it only made Justin laugh harder. Ren gritted his teeth while Justin's laugh echoed in his head. He calmed down in the end and Ren prayed that he would keep his mouth shut. His wish lasted all but two minutes before the man opened up again.
'But we helped her at least.' He said and Ren waited for the inevitable tease that would follow. 'And got ridiculously happy when she confirmed that she felt desire and described it as the feeling of scotch. That's apparently something major in your world.' Ren cast a pleading glance towards Cain and the brother grunted and gripped the laughing man in a chokehold and pulled him away. Ren sighed in relief and rested his head against the cold wall.
He just wanted to sleep. It was barely evening but he felt drained.
'Don't forget the question you had for her!' Justin's voice called out from the darkness and Ren snapped his head upwards again.
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Kyoko was pacing around her room in a try to get some outlet for the restlessness in her body. The fire wreaked havoc in every cell and she gripped her arms hard to contain it somewhat.
She avoided the mirrors as she couldn't stand seeing her own blushing face. She bit her lip and turned around again. She froze in her tracks when she saw Ren's lock turn to green just before a knock sounded on the door.
"Kyoko?" Ren asked in a soft voice and she yelped.
"Kyoko?!" Ren asked again in a worried voice and she could see the handle turn on the door. "I'm coming in." He called out and she let out a high pitched sound again. The door slid open and Ren ran inside with a deep frown on his brow. Kyoko could only stare, like a deer into headlights.
"Are you okay?" Ren asked when he came to a stop just one pace away from her. Neither moved a muscle for two tense moments before the air suddenly changed.
She could see his eyes widen when he examined her face and the bright blush stayed strong under his concerned examination. Ren's body language slowly shifted and it turned from worried to stunned amazement before her eyes.
A small smirk began to play at the corner of his lips and she saw him reach out his hand.
She tried to not react to it but she surprised even herself when she didn't shy away, but instead leaned into his palm with her cheek. A heavy breath left her lips when his ice cold skin met her heated one and her eyes fluttered closed.
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He had only seen her this red a few times before. His eyes quickly scanned the room and her appearance before he realised that she wasn't in danger. He stopped barely half a meter away from her and tried to figure out what was happening. Realisation slowly dawned on him.
Her big eyes didn't hold fear but the same hunger that had stunned him during the Demon-commercial.
'Desire. She is feeling it right now.' The smirk on his lips grew without his permission.
'Does she think of me?' He couldn't help the question from taking over his mind and he reached out to see how she would react.
She met his hand halfway and her skin would have burned him if he hadn't concentrated so hard on her face. Her heavy exhale tickled his wrist and he felt his heart swoon when he saw her close her eyes and nuzzle into his palm.
'She is… thinking of me.' Ren mirrored her loud exhale. He was thankful for Justin's teasing as it had made him spend even longer in the shower. His body was still ice cold and he could hold onto reason for a few moments longer.
He pulled his hand back and the smirk grew wider when her eyes opened and locked onto his with confusion written all over her face.
"Are you okay?" He asked again to break the tension in the room as his sanity quickly depleted around her in that state.
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The cold hand that sent tingles through her body suddenly retreated and Kyoko blinked in confusion.
"Are you okay?" Ren asked her with a smug grin on his face. Kyoko followed his lips movements but it took a while before the words registered to her.
'What happened?' She wondered and glanced around her. She quickly zeroed in on the phone on the bed and her heart trembled.
Kyoko rolled her shoulders and let go of the grip of her arms.
'Act like nothing!'
"Yes, I'm fine. You surprised me, that's all." Kyoko smiled and focused every percent of her brainpower on their conversation to not let it drift again.
"I'm sorry. I saw that you hadn't locked the door and figured you didn't mind a visit." Ren said and she saw his wide grin stay on his face.
"I don't mind. Was it something in particular you wanted?" She wanted to make a small victory gesture when her voice sounded calm and steady. His smirk grew even wider before he seemed to notice it and she saw the actor step in and his face turned into a more neutral one.
"My question. You promised me to answer a question every day." He said and Kyoko had to search her memories before she remembered her promise.
"Oh yes." She finally felt that she had enough strength in her knees to move again and she shifted her weight slightly. "What do you want to ask?" She tilted her head and Ren's smile grew wide again.
"You said that you would fall in love with me during this project." Ren said and she felt herself freeze up. "I want to know if that has happened yet?" Ren smiled and Kyoko stared at him without seeing.
'W-what?' Kyoko tried to swallow around her heart that had moved up to her throat and the feeling of standing on a cliff made itself remembered.
'I thought you had accepted your feelings and that Ren wouldn't hold it against you if he knew?' Mary-Ann asked while looking worriedly at her host.
'I have. But it's too sudden!'
Kyoko felt her face contort into a troubled mask and she forced her eyes to focus on him again. He was still smiling.
"We haven't begun shooting yet?" She heard herself say and Ren's smile grew even wider.
"Oh that's right. I will ask you tomorrow then." He said and she felt like a deer again when he moved into her space and she felt the soft pressure of lips against her hair.
"Sleep well. I'll see you tomorrow." Ren said and she saw him back up towards the door.
Mary-Ann gave her a mental kick in the shin and Kyoko jumped to life again.
"Good night, Ren." She said and he waved towards her slightly before he turned around and pulled the door closed.
The blush climbed her cheeks again when she suddenly was alone and Kyoko began to pace.
'Why would he ask me that?' She stumbled slightly on the small threshold between the hallway and bathroom.
'You ask a question if you want the answer usually.' Mary-Ann provided and Kyoko stumbled over the same place when she moved back into the hallway.
'Why would he like to know if I love him yet?'
'Maybe because he loves you and wants to know if the feelings are mutual?' Mary-Ann asked and Natsu and Setsu prepared to roll their eyes while they waited for the usual rejection from their host.
Kyoko walked straight into the corner of the table and stubbed her toe on the leg.
A painful whimper left her as she crumbled and gripped the throbbing appendage while the pain slowly intensified.
"Ouch." She groaned, hurt but thankful for the distraction from her thoughts.
"Everything alright, Kyoko?" Ren's voice came from the door and she quickly got up on her feet again.
"Yes! Only stubbed my toe. Good night, Ren." Kyoko quickly said and the handle stayed still.
"Okay, be careful. Good night, Kyoko." He said and the warmth in his voice made little trembles spread over her body. She waited for him to retreat without moving and only relaxed when she heard his bed creak.
Kyoko glanced at the door and a soft smile soon grew on her lips.
'Maybe, there is a tiny little chance that he does like me back.' Kyoko thought and Setsu and Natsu gaped in surprise while Mary-Ann chuckled.
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Kyoko had slept well. She had been mentally exhausted and her characters had come together and filled her head with enough meaningless chatter that she had no room to think. She had been lulled to sleep before she had time to process more than she was ready to deal with. Mary-Ann had dealt with what was important for today if they managed to film two scenes.
Kyoko glanced into the mirror in front of her and then to the side. There were ten wigs that stood ready for her and she smiled when she saw the different shades of blond. They had decided that her hair would change like a marker for how evil she had become. It went from pale blond to almost brown and she would then turn lighter again as she regained her sanity.
She glanced into the mirror and saw the fourth wig on her head. She couldn't help but fall in love with her looks. It was almost impossible to believe that she was of pure asian descent as the lines on her face had been redrawned ever so slightly. Her accent would give her away but Kurosaki had angled Mary-Ann's character as someone that grew up in America but had gained an accent due to her parents speaking Japanese with her at home.
She was clad in a simple nightgown that reached midtigh and her hair was draped around her face with minor tangles. She looked like she had stepped straight out of bed and even if her make-up changed her features, the audience would not see that she had any on.
Mika came up behind her and held out a black silk robe.
"You ready?" She asked and Kyoko put the confident actor as a front and nodded.
"Let's go." She smiled and turned around to let Mika help her get dressed. She was careful not to let the fabric touch her face and fastened the belt around her waist.
Almost a hundred people had gathered on the lawn in front of the house and Kyoko barely recognised a fifth of them. Kurosaki stood closest to the house and beamed when he caught sight of Kyoko.
"Come here!" He smiled and she walked up to join him. A tall man straightened out of a bow beside him and Kyoko almost tripped when she saw Ren with black hair, green eyes and pyjamas. His hair was perfectly ruffled and she felt her throat tighten up in response. She could see Ren's eyes widen when they found her and she wanted to melt when his divine smile began to shine.
"Everyone, gather!" Kurosaki said and pulled the two actors out of their stupor and to his sides. "Today is the first day of shooting. I thank all of you for working hard until now. This is just the beginning. I expect you to bring out your very best and help me make this the movie I know it can be." Kurosaki grinned and Kyoko had to hold back her laughter as his tone sounded more like a Yakuza preparing for a fight than an award winning director getting his staff pumped before shooting.
"These are our main Actors. Many of you have already met them but they will introduce themself to those who haven't." Kurosaki gestured towards Ren.
"I'm Tsuruga Ren. Please take care of me during the time we shoot this movie." Ren glanced out over the sea of people in front of him and then bowed his upper body in a respectful bow. Loud cheers sounded and Kyoko saw the respect reflected in their eyes. His eyes found hers when he righted his back again and he made a small gesture for her to follow.
Kyoko held the confident actor in place and she opened with a warm smile.
"I'm Kyoko from LME. I'm not as famous as my co-actor but I will do my very best to exceed your expectations and not make trouble. Please take care of me during this project." Kyoko bowed as she had learned in the Ryokan and she saw several kind smiles when she straightened her back again.
"I loved your take on Mio. It will be hard to exceed my expectations." A mid aged man said that Kyoko hadn't spoken to yet. He winked her way when she turned her head towards him and she bowed her head again with a smile.
"Thank you." She caught Ren gesture towards her slightly and she moved a bit to let him lean closer behind Kurosaki.
"He is trying to break the tension. Prepare yourself." Ren said with an amused smile and Kyoko glanced onto the sea of people again as several had begun to talk after the man had spoken.
"But you look nothing like Mio! How can you be her?" A younger man with a black overall asked as he stood on his toes to get a better look. The beauticians began to snicker in humor around her and Kyoko could see several shoulders relax. Kurosaki's pep talk and their introductions had made people smile but she could still feel the stress and tension in the air. She realised she could help and turned towards the younger man.
"Do I look more like her like this?" Kyoko asked and pulled out the emotions she had used as Mio. The proud rich young lady took over and the young man's jaw dropped when he saw the transformation.
"Oh my god! It's Mio!" He squealed in excitement and a lot of people began to laugh at his expression.
"But wait. Wasn't the girl that played Mio the same that plays Natsu in Box'R?" A woman with paint all over her clothes asked and Kyoko turned to her and nodded.
"Kyoko plays Natsu too." Kurosaki said and gestured towards Kyoko with an encouraging smile. She could see the gratefulness in his eyes and she smiled slightly before she turned back to the woman. She was met with several excited pairs of eyes and when Natsu took over, her smile turned into a smirk.
"Level five play, Yumika." Natsu said one of the more popular phrases from the series and the woman shivered in excitement.
"Oh my! It is her! I can see her now!" The woman gasped in surprise and Kyoko took back her face and handed it to the competent actor. The staff went wild and Ren and Kurosaki couldn't hide their wide grins. The crowd's loud chatter eventually simmered down to a murmur and Kurosaki gave Kyoko a pat on the shoulder before stepping forward again.
"Okay everyone. Let's get started!" He called out and everyone cheered before they parted in different groups. "You two as well." Kurosaki grinned and turned them towards the house.
Ren walked up beside her and Kyoko lifted her eyes to him.
"Ready?" He asked and Kyoko's smile grew wider. Mary-Ann stepped forward and she gripped his hand tightly in hers.
"Of course, Honey." She said and saw that his expression changed. Justin had emerged and he let a mischievous smirk grow on his lips. He pulled her hand until they reached the poarch and then swooped down and caught her in a bridal hold.
Mary-Ann laughed as she could guess the next words out of his mouth.
"A husband should carry his wife over the threshold to their new house." He hummed and Kurosaki snorted a laugh when he moved past them to open the door.
"Gosh, you are so corny." Mary-Ann giggled but wrapped her arms around his neck and didn't protest. Justin's smirk turned into a happy laugh and he bent down to kiss the top of her head.
"Just one of the many reasons you love me." He said as he puffed out his chest and carried her inside.
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The inside of the house was perfect. Not modern in style but also not out of date. The kitchen was grey like the bricks outside and the countertop was in white marble. A medium sized kitchen island with the stove separated the kitchen from the open space in front of tall windows. Kyoko saw that one of the windows had a handle and as she moved closer she could see a small terrass outside. A round table with four chairs were placed in front of it and she saw that they had chosen the size well as there still was room for cameras and equipment in front of it.
Kyoko turned around and her eyes landed on the kitchen island before she quickly averted her gaze with a small blush.
"Okay! Could you take your places and we will check the light and angles before we begin." Kurosaki said and Kyoko nodded and carefully removed her robe. An assistant smiled as she received it and Kyoko took her place at the chair that they gestured for her. Ren walked up to the kitchen counter.
"Good, stay there for a moment." The director grinned and Kyoko glanced over her shoulder. Mary-Ann vibrated with excitement and Kyoko let her out.
"You look good." She grinned and Ren's eyes snapped to hers for a moment before Justin replaced him.
"Back at you, Darling." He winked and Mary-Ann chuckled and faced forward again to let the crew measure the light by her face with a small black tool. They quickly finished and she turned back to her husband.
"Your arms look even bigger than usual in that shirt." She hummed and bit her lip with a satisfied expression. "Could you wear it, like all the time?"
"You sure it is the shirt?" Justin asked and flexed his arms to get a better look himself. "I carried a lot of boxes during the move." He lifted his arms and struck a pose. Mary-Ann made a pleased sound again and Justin wiggled his eyebrows her way. "Like what you see?" He asked and she saw that Kurosaki gestured for the assistant to take Justin to the table to check out the light aimed for his seat.
"Come here and I will tell you." She said and Justin glanced towards the director that gave him a thumbs up. Justin grinned and almost skipped over to her and sat down on the chair to her left.
"Tell me." He grinned but stayed seated with his face forward to let the crew work around him.
"I like it more than coffee." She winked his way and Justin gasped and gripped over his heart.
"That's the nicest thing anyone ever said to me." Justin cried out and waved a hand in front of his face, like to cool off. Mary-Ann grinned widely and winked his way again.
"Okay kids. When you have finished playing we need ten minutes to get out the props." Kurosaki said and Kyoko blushed.
"Just getting in the mood." Ren said and got up to move out of the way.
"And I like the mood. Turn it a bit darker for this part and I will love it." Kyoko followed Ren out of the kitchen and they crossed the hallway to the living room. A huge green-screen had been put in the ceiling and over the floor. Several racks of clothes hung on the side with other props.
"It looks like we will take some vacation photos." Ren smiled and nodded towards two inflated inner tubes.
"Ohh, Shouldn't we do that first then?" Kyoko asked and Ren shrugged.
"There are no picture frames in the kitchen so I think they just wanted to get started on shooting to check the equipment."
Kyoko hummed and took her time to check behind the screen. A beautiful fireplace with bookcases on both sides clad the wall and two big dark blue sofas had been pushed against the corner.
"It's beautiful." Kyoko said and felt heat against her back that told her that her co-actor had followed her.
"Do you like this style?" Ren asked and Kyoko nodded.
"I don't think I would have styled my house like this but that's only because I don't have the imagination for it." Kyoko said with a warm smile and stayed still as Ren's heat felt comfortable against her back.
"It reminds me of my parents home." Ren said in a whisper and she glanced up over her shoulder to his face. "They bought an old house and renovated it. They kept the fireplace and some built in bookcases in the library. I remember climbing them and scaring my parents more than once." His chuckle was warm and Kyoko giggled with him.
"Kyoko-san, Tsuruga-san we are ready for you." An assistant stepped into the room and they glanced towards each other.
"Ready?"
"Let's go."
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Justin used the spatula to lift the edges of the fried egg before he carefully flipped them over. A yawn slipped out of him and he gripped a cup of coffee to his side. He emptied it before putting it down on the counter again. Movement to his right made him lift his eyes and he could see his wife enter the kitchen silently.
He moved closer to the stove to let her pass behind him on her way to the coffee brewer. He heard her open the cupboard and knew that he could turn around. He grabbed a plate from the counter and turned again to lift the egg from the pan. The sound from the chair was muted but it broke his concentration.
He glanced to the side and saw Mary-Ann sit still by the table with her back turned towards him and a slight frown settled on his brow.
Justin turned off the stove and put the eggs on the table before refilling his cup of coffee. He glanced Mary-Ann's way and sat down to her left.
His frown deepened when she didn't make any sign that she had noticed him. He pulled two eggs to his plate and then turned the spatula and laid it down with the handle pointing her way.
He sought her gaze but her eyes stayed unfocused and directed outside. A sense of doom nested in his stomach and he found himself standing up. He leaned forward and put his lips against hers. The anger began to boil inside of him when her lips stayed unmoving under his. He pushed harder and her slack jaw fell down slightly. He gripped the back of her hair and sucked her upper lip into his mouth. A sharp pain suddenly traveled through his lips and he bit the capsule of blood inside his mouth while he flinched back. His lower lip was trapped between her teeth and he met her eyes straight on.
Mary-Ann smirked slightly and let go of his lip when the blood began to flow over his chin.
"What was that for?!" Justin cursed and quickly gripped a napkin and dragged it over his mouth. He stayed standing and glared down on her with anger and concern fighting over his eyes.
"I could ask the same." Mary-Ann lifted the cup and sipped on the coffee.
"You actually bit me!" Justin pushed the napkin harder against the lip and it soon turned red.
"You shouldn't have kissed me."
"And why the hell not?" Justin gestured widely with his arms and then saw her turn her head forward again and the emotions ebb out of her eyes. "Hey!" He slammed his hand down on the table in front of her and her brows twitched in a frown. "What's wrong with you?" His anger couldn't hide all the concern in his voice. Mary-Ann sighed and then fixed her gaze with his and got up to standing.
"Leave me alone!" She bit back and Justin clenched his fists in anger.
"What's wrong?" He asked again and opened his hands and reached out slowly, like to stroke her cheek.
"Leave. Me. Alone." Mary-Ann put the cup down and turned around like to walk away. He stopped her before she had moved too far and pulled her to face him again. His hands let go as soon as she stayed still.
"WHAT'S WRONG?!" Justin yelled out loudly and leaned forward to get closer to her face. He reached up with his hands again and stroked her arms. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me!" His face twisted in concern but froze when a hand slipped into the back of his neck and gripped his hair tightly. "Wha.." He couldn't finish before she slammed their lips together again.
It took a moment before he understood what had happened and he locked eyes with her. The smirk twitched on her lips and he flinched when she bit him again. She had transferred a new capsule to his mouth the first moments she had kissed him and he bit on it.
His eyes flashed with danger and he enveloped her in his arms and pushed their lips together again. He saw her eyes dim again and he bit back. She flinched in his arms and the grip of his hair tightened. Her eyes were alive again when she pulled him backward. He let go of her lip and she let the blood flow over her chin. A wide smirk grew on her face when she pulled her thumb over her mouth and glanced down on the blood. She bit her own lip with the dangerous glimmer in her eyes and purred slightly. She gave him a last tug of his hair and then moved away from him and walked out of the room.
Justin was left gasping for air with a troubled expression on his lips. He sucked in a part of his lower lip and the dangerous ember lit up his eyes. He turned towards the way she had disappeared and a smirk grew on his lips as he followed.
Justin rounded the corner and Kyoko's happy face met him. Ren could barely hide his chuckle as he put his finger to his lips.
"And cut!" Kurosaki called out and the make-up team rushed forward and quickly cleaned up the blood on their faces before it dripped down on their clothes.
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Kyoko smiled towards Mika that adjusted her nightgown and made sure that no red spots could be seen. She gave Kyoko a pleased nod and then wrapped a paper cape over her shoulders. Taka took her place and he quickly evened the make-up that had been disrupted when they had cleaned off the fake blood.
"Kyoko-san." Satori snapped her way and Kyoko lifted her head to see the woman working on Ren's make-up.
"Yes Satori-san?"
"Don't bite so hard next time. Tsuruga-san got a real cut on his lip." She said and Kyoko's eyes widened.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry Ren!" She gasped and caught the man laugh.
"I didn't even notice that it was real." He grinned but soon caught the eye of Satori-san and stilled with a tense face. He threw Kyoko a glance that made him look like someone that had gotten a ruler snapped over his fingers as he had reached for the cookie jar.
Kyoko tried to hold back her laugh but Taka had seen the exchange too and when he began to chuckle, Kyoko followed. Ren's expression relaxed and his eyes glimmered with mirth.
"You can stop now." Kurosaki's stern face turned into the hallway and Kyoko's eyes widened when her heart dropped. Ren glanced to the side but didn't move until Satori-san had lowered her brush.
"What was that?" Kurosaki asked and Kyoko quickly turned to Ren but he looked as lost as her.
'I thought we did really well.' Kyoko bit her lip before Satori threw her a mean glare and she quickly released it.
Kurosaki alternated between staring daggers between them and then sighed.
"Mika." He called out and the head of wardrobe stepped into the hallway again.
"Yes, Director?"
"Get ready for the photoshoot. These kids nailed the first scene in one go. There is no use in redoing it. Taking away my purpose and all." Kurosaki mumbled the last part and then lifted his eyes and winked Kyoko's way.
Kyoko felt her heart jump back up into its rightful place and she beamed a smile Ren's way.
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'First scene in one take.' Ren could barely believe it. It had never happened to him before. Shorter segments with only himself in the frame had sometimes made it in one shot, but never a first emotional scene with a coactor.
He turned to Kurosaki and saw the man walk back to the monitors that played the scene on an endless loop. He saw four different angles roll at the same time and realised that half the work had been done by the Directors careful planning. Even perfect scenes would sometimes need to be shot again from a different angle to be able to catch both actors expressions. Ren felt excitement rip though his body as his eyes found the crew of cameramen toast with cups of coffee in the kitchen.
A warm hand landed on his arm and he turned his head to see Kyoko glance at the crew too.
"They must be some of the best." She said and Ren felt pride but no surprise when she had caught up to one of the reasons for their success.
"Let's greet and thank them properly." He said and Kyoko nodded with a warm smile.
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Kyoko tried to pull out the confident actor more than once during their talk with the crew but she found herself slipping up over and over again without anyone noticing. The camera crew was a well knitted group and two were even siblings. They happily invited Ren and Kyoko to join their toast and they did without hesitation.
"Cheers for teamwork!" The oldest of the men lifted his cup and Kyoko smiled as she clinked her cup filled with water against his.
"Cheers for new friends!" Kyoko added and a slight blush climbed on their cheeks as they looked towards her with warm eyes.
"Cheers for our amazing actors." One of the siblings said as he thrusted his cup into the middle and Kyoko giggled slightly at that.
"Cheers for the one take wonder!" Ren said as he held out his cup and the men laughed happily.
The last brother elbowed the other remaining man and whispered into his ear. They both laughed out loud and they reached out their cups at the same time.
"Cheers for camera friendly snogging-techniques that made it possible." They said and the four men laughed out loud while Ren and Kyoko both fought with their blushes. Still, they happily drank from their cups as soon as the others had gathered their breaths enough to do the same.
"Kyoko-san. We need to change your wig and redo your make-up." Taka called for her and Kyoko quickly bid the camera crew goodbye. She saw Ren do the same and they headed towards the make-up tent.
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"The confident actor won't come out." Kyoko frowned as she changed her clothes behind a drape that separated her from Ren. She could see his face reach over the edge but he held his eyes forward.
"It doesn't surprise me." Ren chuckled and she could hear the metal sound of a belt buckle. She frowned at the words but got distracted when Mika came inside to adjust her clothes.
"Why?" She couldn't help but plead for an answer as she couldn't find the reason. Mika gestured for her to step outside and she saw Ren wait outside for her. He was clad in a t-shirt and blue chinos. She glanced down and saw that the metal belt buckle was a detail on his shoes.
"Because you finally have confidence in yourself. You don't need to act confident when you already are." Ren smiled warmly towards her and she saw him take in her outfit. She had a short flowy pink skirt and a white off shoulder top with short sleeves. Ren's eyes traced her clavicles and she felt the heat pool in her lower stomach when the emperor lit his eyes aflame.
His words added to the fire and she tried to stop her heart from breaking out of her ribcage.
"You think so?" She asked and Ren leaned in closer.
"What do you think?" He asked and she tilted her head slightly.
'The… the confident actor never materialised in my mind. She never got a voice of her own.'
'She was never a character, just the more confident parts of yourself.' Mary-Ann said and patted her host on her shoulder. Kyoko took a glance on the character in front of her and saw Natsu and Setsuka move up on her sides. Momoji stepped out of the darkness and joined the others without a word.
She had the answer in front of her. Noone would be able to make them like she had. She should be confident in her acting. Even if it wasn't perfect, she knew that she would be able to work on them until they were.
"I KNOW you are right." Kyoko grinned and Ren chuckled at her childish grin before they followed Mika outside.
Their first picture would be a picnic on the lawn. As the weather was nice, they used the backyard rather than the green-screen. The set was simple with a blanket and a basket with food. They would only take a few pictures with a regular camera and no additional light as they tried to make it believable.
Kyoko hoped that someone would finish the different pastries and sandwiches as it looked delicious and she doubted they would have time for it.
"Go on, we are on a tight schedule." Mika smiled and gestured towards the blanket while confirming Kyoko's suspicion.
Justin moved in front of her and Kyoko glanced inside to check up Mary-Ann as the woman hadn't answered her call.
Kyoko saw the grudge-spirit that the married woman previously had swallowed hovering around her instead.
'You spit it out again?' She asked in wonder and Mary-Ann giggled.
'I saw a wedding dress on the racks. There is no way I will have that inside me on my wedding day.' The woman rolled her eyes but then scratched the little grudge under its chin and it twitched its smoky tail in delight.
'Come on, we need you.' Kyoko coughed and Mary-Ann giggled before stepping forward.
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Author's note:
I pestered two of my childhood friends about a good description for sex and orgasm. They gave me some good ideas, but we then turned like 13 again and it was just giggles and increasingly poetic descriptions that in the end would be too confusing for Kyoko. However they approved of this description in the end. It might be completely different from how you would have described it but I gave it my best shot. Next chapter isn't ready yet but I hope that it won't take too long.
Hugs from Sweden