A/N: Happy reading.
Working Together
Kyoko stared at her ceiling, making pictures with the random patterns of lines and dots. Her cellphone rested lightly in her palm, and occasionally she would glance at the little numbers. It was only six in the morning, and the sun was just peeking over the horizon. Too tired to actually get out of bed, she discarded the fleeting thought that she should help the Taisho prepare for the breakfast crowd and instead closed her eyes. After her 'run in' with the demon that seemed to be stalking her, it had taken her hours to fall back asleep. Luckily, she wasn't needed on set. It was a Sunday, and she didn't have any Love Me work to do, so she had no plans for the day.
Kyoko jerked when her phone vibrated in her hand. Looking at the numbers, she realized that she must have dozed off, because it was nearly 8. She checked the caller ID and pressed the green button. "Good morning." She greeted with a soft smile, almost able to feel the warmth from the return smile.
"Good morning. Did I wake you?"
"Um…not really. I was about to get up." She sat up, afraid to fall asleep again, and crossed her legs.
"Did you sleep okay?" There was a note of concern in his voice and Kyoko felt guilty for worrying him.
"Mostly." She left it at that and heard him sigh softly. "So what are you doing today?" She asked cheerfully, changing the subject.
"Well, I have work until 3, and them I'm free all day. Why? Are you asking me on a date?" Kyoko went red with embarrassment at his teasing voice and mumbled irritably about playboys. He laughed. "I'm sorry. You're too fun to tease." The embarrassment drained away at the gentleness of his voice. "Do you want to do something?"
"Um…if you do?" He laughed again.
"Of course." There was a slight pause and she heard Yashiro's voice. "Sorry, I have to go. I'll talk to you later today."
"Oh. Okay. Have a good day."
"You too. I love you." She blushed, realizing that Yashiro was probably standing beside him.
"I…I love you too." She mumbled. He chuckled and disconnected the call.
Kyoko joined the Taisho in the kitchen and bowed. "I'm sorry I overslept." He only grunted and gestured toward a stack of vegetables. After she was finished cutting and dicing, she began grabbing trays and serving food to the customers. The crowd didn't slow all day, and she lost track of time until she felt a hand clasp her own as she headed for the kitchen. Squeaking and jerking away, she turned around, ready to call the Taisho, until she saw her giant fairy prince standing in front of her. "Oh! Ren!" She placed a hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry! I lost track of time! I…" He held up a hand and smiled.
"Don't worry about it, Kyoko." He told her simply. "I'm early anyway."
"Oh." She realized that the restaurant was silent, and that all of the customers were staring at them. "Um…do you want to come back to the kitchen?" She mumbled, blushing. He nodded, following her in silence.
"Ren Tsuruga?" "No way." "Do you think so?" "It can't be him…right?" Ren ignored the whispers and stepped into the kitchen, stopping short when the girl bowed deeply before him.
"I'm so sorry! I said your name too loudly, and now everyone will know that you are here and…" She was stopped when he reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward him, and hugging her.
"Stop apologizing. It's okay. I don't care." The Taisho and the Okami-san were watching them with irritation and amusement respectively, so he didn't kiss her, but he did squeeze her and nuzzle her hair. "Do you need to keep working?"
"Yes." The Okami-san, Kyoko, and Ren all looked over in mild surprise at the gruff Taisho. "Until 4." Kyoko looked sadly up at Ren.
"Um…I'm sorry. We don't have to…."
"Can I help?" The Taisho jerked his head up and stared at Ren.
"No! You don't have to do anything, Ren! I couldn't ask you to help!"
"Dishes." The Taisho threw an apron at the younger man who deftly caught it, and pointed to a sink full of dishes. Ren cocked an eyebrow, but nodded, rolling his sleeves up.
Kyoko paled at the thought of asking her super rich and famous boyfriend do the dishes. "Ren, you don't have…"
"Kyoko, I don't mind." He gave her a reassuring smile, trying to put her at ease. She sighed, giving up as he began scrubbing a plate, and hesitantly took out a tray out to a waiting table, glancing back at him occasionally.
Ren glanced over at the Taisho after Kyoko left, sure the man was about to say something. However, the man remained silent, which was somehow more unnerving. "So…how long have you owned this restaurant?"
"10 years." Ren nodded.
"Hm. That's nice…were you're parents in the business as well?"
"No." Ren flinched at the harsh sound of it.
"So…it really is kind of you to take care of Kyoko like you do." He smiled over at the man. "Do you have any children?"
"Yes." Ren bit back a sigh when the man didn't elaborate and decided to just clean the dishes in silence.
It was another thirty minutes before Kyoko got a break and she joined him at the sink, leaning against him a little. He leaned over and kissed to top of her head quickly before the Taisho could turn around and catch him. "What time is it?" He asked the top of her head.
"3:30. I only have about twenty minutes left." She smiled cheerfully up at him. "Thank you for helping." He grinned down at her as he plunged his hands into the soapy water, checking for dishes he missed.
"Of course. I never got to work at a restaurant before." He flinched and frowned down at the water, withdrawing his hand. Kyoko's smile dropped away.
"Ren?" She gasped when she saw the trail of red liquid seeping down his thumb. Her face drained of blood and she grabbed his wrist her eyes wide with fear. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay? Here…" She pulled the surprised man over to a chair and pushed him onto the seat. The Taisho placed a first aid kit in her hand and went back to his chopping.
"I'm fine." Ren tried to convince her, but she was wiping his finger with alcohol. He flinched at the sting and she blew on it gently, her eyes sad. His own eyes softened and he touched her shoulder. "Sweetheart, I'm fine." He whispered. She looked up at him and blushed, starting to pull her hands away, but he closed his hand around hers. "Thank you though."
"Never put a knife in dishwater." They glanced up at the Taisho who had pulled out the knife and was draining the sink. "You can go Kyoko."
"Oh. Thank you." She bowed to the Taisho, pulling away from Ren and taking his apron, handing it to the Taisho. Ren bowed as well, and followed her out the back to the staircase leading to the residence. "Do you mind if I get changed?"
"Not at all." He followed her up the stairs and paused outside of her door.
"Um…you can come in." She smiled and gestured to him, and he stepped inside of the small room, looking around discreetly. Honestly, he was surprised. There was almost nothing personal in the room except for a small bag in the corner. She opened her closet and looked through her clothes as he looked around at the bare walls. Finally pulling out an outfit, she turned to him. "Um…Ren?" He turned to her. "I'm going to go change." He smiled and nodded, stepping aside as she passed, and watched the bathroom door close, then looked back around her room.
'It's so empty in here. I wonder why she didn't bring any stuff with her from Kyoto…' He thought back to his time with her there. 'Wait…I never saw the inside of her room. Does she have any stuff?' She emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a loose blouse and a knee length skirt, and stared at him.
"Um…Ren?"
"Oh." He smiled. "Sorry…I was just looking at your room."
"Oh. Heh." She blushed a little, placing the kimono she worked in on her futon, folded neatly. "There isn't really much to look at." She said simply, turning back to him. He was watching her closely, and took a slight step back, shutting the door. Two giant steps later and he swallowed the question coming from her mouth, his lips against hers.
She sighed a little in the back of her mind, her heart speeding up. 'He always does this, but I never see it coming.' On the other hand, she didn't really mind. The feel of his lips on hers and his tongue gently coaxing her mouth open and entering her mouth, made her legs want to give out, so she let him support her. Carefully, he scooped her into his arms and knelt, laying her on the futon, pushed the kimono out of the way, and lay on his arm on his side, nuzzling her neck and kissing her. She blushed brightly, but made no move to stop him as he moved back to her lips, entering her mouth and pressing harder against her mouth. She whimpered and opened her mouth, wrapping her arms around him, closing her eyes as he opened his.
Ren stared down at her soft red face, concentrating on keeping his hands were they were and his mouth on hers. 'I have to take it slowly.' She made another soft noise into his mouth and he moaned softly, trailing a hand down her arms languidly. 'She is just so beautiful…and she's mine.' He slowly pulled away, turning the kiss chaste again and eventually removing his lips from hers, leaving a soft kiss on her cheek, and laid his head beside hers. She caught her breath as he stroked her hair, watching her chest rise and fall, and the air slip in and out of her parted lips. "Do you want to go to dinner or do you want to cook?" He asked quietly, just managing not to kiss her again. Turned her head a little, catching his eyes.
"It doesn't matter. Aren't you afraid of getting noticed?" He grimaced, briefly regretting his career choice, then nodded.
"We can still get private reservations somewhere if you don't want to cook."
She shook her head, slowly sitting up. "I don't mind cooking."
They were shopping when it happened. The now familiar mist seemed to surround her, isolating her from Ren, and paralyzing her. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, fury and terror mingling in her mind. 'Go away! Leave me alone you stupid demon!' She screamed in her mind. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she tried to calm her racing heart, but the feeling of being sought out was still there. She heard a faint snicker and felt sick at his amusement.
Ren glanced over at the girl who was apparently still observing the meat. "Does it really matter?" He asked, a little amused at how much she was thinking about which type of chicken to buy. "Just pick…" His voice trailed over when he realized that she was shaking. "Oh no." He mumbled, touching her shoulder and peering into her face. "Kyoko." He mumbled her name in her ear, wrapping his arms around her and looking around, hoping that no one was watching.
She tried to bring a hand up to clutch his shirt, but her limbs hardly responded. Seeing this, he reached down and took her hand, squeezing gently. "Kyoko, take a deep breath. I'm here. You are safe." He spoke softly into her ear, forcing his voice to be calm.
"He's trying to find me." She managed to croak, a lump in her throat making it impossible to swallow.
"No one is trying to find you." He reasoned with her softly, glad that they were in the store in his building and that this isle was empty. "I'm right here. You are in my building and you are safe." The trembling lessened but she shook her head.
"He's going to find me." She whimpered. The thought was more terrifying than the strange dreams and random visits. 'What does he want with me? He thinks I'm 'interesting.'' She shuddered.
Taking a deep breath, he held her tighter. "Who, Kyoko? Who is coming after you?"
"I don't know. He just wants to find me." He sighed, not knowing what to do.
'She really believes this. Does she need some kind of help? Is she delusional?' She looked up at him helplessly, her eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry." She sobbed, leaning against him. "I can't help it." She knew he thought she was crazy, but the strange man kept appearing in her mind, reaching out to find her, and she didn't want to know what he would do when he finally did. He moved away and she was filled with panic. "Don't leave me." She begged, her hands clutching his shirt.
His eyes softened as he looked down at the small, frightened girl in his arms. "I'm not going to leave you, and I'm not angry with you. This isn't your fault. I know you can't help it." He tried to soothe her, his hands moving up and down her back. "We need to check out and get upstairs. Maybe you'll feel better after we eat." Intertwining his fingers with hers, he kept her close as they paid for the food and carried it upstairs. She cooked their meal, with him standing nearby in the kitchen, keeping up a constant stream of chatter to distract her, and then they ate in front of the TV. She leaned against him when she finished, resting her head against his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." She whispered again sorrowfully. He stroked her arm.
"You don't have to keep apologizing." He assured her. "I'm not angry. I'm just worried about you." She opened her mouth to speak when the blood drained from her face again.
Fighting panic and exasperation, he started to hold her again when she pointed at the TV. He glanced up and his eyes widened.
"It seems that Vie Ghoul's new single is going to remain at the top of the charts for the entire month, with Sho Fuwa's a close second." He frowned at the name.
"Vie Ghoul?" She shook her head and continued pointing. The picture of the bands was flashed again, and Ren's eyes widened.
"Him!" She cried. He nodded slowly, leaning forward. The man had silver hair and purple eyes that could only be the result of contact lenses. The black make-up and pointed fingernails, combined with his pale skin and frail build, made Ren understand why she had been so scared.
"This is the guy you keep seeing and dreaming about?" He asked quietly for clarification. She nodded. 'I'd be scared too if this freak kept appearing in my dreams….but why would she dream about him?' "Have you ever met him?" She shook her head.
"He said that he saw me when I was leaving Sho's dressing room." Ren frowned in concern.
"You mean in your dream?" She nodded, a little worried at his tone.
"Ren…I'm not crazy." She told him, her eyes and tone pleading with him to believe her. "I really do keep seeing him!" He nodded slowly.
"I believe that you dreamed about him…but Kyoko, how could you have actually talked to him if you've never met him?" He tried to reason with her. He was surprised to see a tear fall from her eyes.
"You think I'm crazy." She whispered, her shoulders drooping.
He gripped her chin and gently tilted her head toward him. "No! I do not! I think that there is something wrong with you. Maybe you should go to a hospital…or talk to someone." She gave him a hurt, betrayed look despite the gentleness of his voice, and he held her again. "You don't have to." He told her simply. "It was just a suggestion. Look, I don't understand what's going on, but I believe you." She looked into his eyes, searching him out to see if he was telling the truth. "I promise. If you say that he's trying to find you, and he keeps looking for you, then he must be doing something." He touched her face, cupping her cheek. "But I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise."
A/N: No real progress…just filler. Sorry. I hope you enjoy anyway. I really want to post another chapter soon…I'm looking at tomorrow, but we'll see how that goes.
