Authors Chat: I really DON'T mean to be waiting a month between each chapter release! I could give my typical excuses "busy with work" or "busy with family" or "didn't have any creative mo-jo" or "avoiding the computer"… and they'd all be TRUE, but I know that doesn't sate your need for a healthy dose of Renkyo between official manga releases! Personally, I'm DIEING for a good M fic! (I have been reading the ones out there, and they're enjoyable, but I need something Meat and Potatoes! Stick in character, stick with Ren and Kyoko, and have a good storyline! Good grammar is a plus, but somewhat optional. Just do your best! I DEMAND IT SO!)

Anyway. I'd like to say the next few chapters will be relatively quick coming, but I make no promises! Just pray my life is slow right now! *wink*

That being said, italics text are direct thoughts of characters, text is in quotes, noises are done with asterisks.

DISCLAIMER: Skip Beat! and it's characters are not my original creation, they are owned and created by Nakamura Yoshiki.

Story Timeline: Y'all know the timeline by now. If not, go back and read it in an earlier chapter! (taken out for length).

Playing With Fire

Act 44

Kyoko chatted excitedly about different ways to get Yashiro's beat up planner while Ren let her carry on, watching her lips move enraptured. Truthfully, he was surprised at her reaction. It seemed silly, even to him, to NOT say anything to Yashiro, but he just couldn't do it. He wanted to keep this information all to himself as long as possible… Keep Kyoko all to himself as long as possible. He knew as soon as Yashiro knew they were dating he would do everything he could to satisfy his need to live vicariously through Ren's romance. This included attaching himself to their hips.

"…Ren…san?" She just couldn't do it. Not in public anyway. No honorifics was just too personal when other people were around!

"Hmm?"

"Were you listening? What do you think?"

"Sorry… No, I don't think we should hire someone to steal his bag while we walk down the street." He laughed a bit, and Kyoko pouted.

"Well I'm fresh out of ideas!"

"That's alright. We aren't in a hurry, are we? We can figure something out later." Ren glanced at the clock on the wall. "We should be getting back though. Kaminari-san will be wondering where you are by now."

Her gaze followed his to the wall clock, then back. "No, she shouldn't be wondering yet. She had an appointment this morning, so she dropped me off. She won't be back for another hour."

Ren smirked. "Why, Mogami-san! Are you suggesting we not return to the set for another hour?"

Kyoko started to sputter.

"What would you have us do with our time? Go visit some love hotel?"

Kyoko's expression changed, and with it, the color of her face.

Oops. "Sorry. That was just a joke. It was in bad taste. I did not mean anything by it Kyoko," the sincerity could be heard in his voice, but it was too late. Kyoko was already too flustered to laugh, and she chastised him instead.

"That is NOT appropriate to say in this type of place Tsuruga-san! To even joke about that is…" her words trailed off as Ren met her gaze and pouted.

"I understand. I did say I was sorry. You don't need to tell me twice… and you don't need to revert to calling me by my surname either."

Kyoko nodded satisfactorily, but her stern frown softened a little at his protest for how she called him.

"We should be going though Kyoko. Unless…?" Ren raised one eyebrow questioningly. Joking, but if she answered to that, he just might not have turned her down.

She shook her head vehemently. "No. No, definitely not. We should get back to the set! As a matter of fact, we should have gone back to the set a while ago. We're going to be late!" There was plenty of time, but Kyoko rambled on, trying to cover her embarrassment.

What if I had said yes? Would he really have skipped the afternoon's set? You're horrible Mogami Kyoko to even think that! But still…

She led the way away from the café, but Ren's long legs easily met her and he slowed his pace to match.

If we HAD gone to a hotel… well, are there even any hotels around here? She glanced around. AAH! Stop it! Stop thinking like that! How did I get to be a pervert! Think of something else! Quick! Think! Think! An image flashed in her mind of Ren, bending naked in front of her on his bed. GAAAH! What else! Lunch! Yes. That was a delicious lunch. Light enough to not be tired this afternoon. It was chocked full of nutrients. Plenty of complex carbs to give us energy, not much fat, enough protein for Tsuruga-san to keep his strength up. Oh, I did it again. Ren. She smiled. Ren. Ren. Tsuruga-Ren-kun. Ren. Wait… I just had lunch with Ren, and only Ren… does that make it a date? Oh no! Does that mean Operation Date won't work? Kyoko's smile fell, and she felt a gentle warmth envelop her hand.

She had been so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Ren had reached for her hand and was now walking hand in hand with her down the dusty road. She looked up at him and he smiled at her.

"Ren…san…"

"Just Ren."

"Yes. Well. R-Ren. I was thinking." That much he could tell. Her expressions always graced her face so thoroughly.

"What is it?"

"Well… we just had lunch, and it was just you and me, right? Well, doesn't that count as a date? I-I mean, I still want to do a d-date with you when you have more time. I want to go through with Operation Date, but I mean, shouldn't we call it Operation Second Date?

He laughed. "Kyoko, that was just lunch between colleagues during their break. We just happen to be colleagues who like each other." He looked at her, hoping she wouldn't refute him.

She didn't.

"If you want to call it a date, you can, but I'm not going to call it that. I want to spend more time with you, somewhere out of the public eye."

She blushed then released his hand.

He looked up to where she looked. They were almost back at the set already. She's still concerned about their opinion. I don't care about their opinion. Let them look. *sigh* Though I guess it is too early. If the media were to find out about her and I in a relationship before the movie is aired, it could be bad for the ratings. Ren knew clearly where he stood. He knew, and he used it to his advantage in the acting world. He wasn't just a popular actor, but he was a good looking popular actor who's success lay partly in his looks alone. It shamed him to think that, but Yashiro had helped, knowing full well that the first part to success in the acting world was to become well known. Become well known, then show the world what you can do. Ren squared his shoulders and pushed his hand into his pocket, secretly making a fist to keep the warmth from Kyoko's hand on his skin.

"Shall we go Kyoko-san?" He slipped back into work mode, and she nodded.

Kyoko focused on her role while in front of the cameras, but as soon as her scenes were finished, she would sit down with her script in a corner, hold the script up, and watch Yashiro over the top.

She was so focused on her observing that she didn't see Kaminari when she quietly sat down beside her, then leaned in to talk.

"So, is he that fun to watch?"

"Not really, mostly he just stands quietly at the side lines watching the filming, then hands Ren a bottle of mineral water as soon as the scene ends."

Kaminari giggled, and Kyoko jumped. She looked at Kaminari surprised. She had answered automatically and didn't even notice Kami-chan had sat down!

"Are you watching Yukihito, Kyoko-chan? Why are you watching him? I thought you were spying on Tsuruga-san."

"uh… Uh, I w-wasn't. It's just that he's in line of sight of Ren-san!"

"Oh, so he's 'Ren-san' now? Just a second ago he was just 'Ren'." Kaminari grinned. "I take it dinner went well with you two?"

Kyoko smiled a little and nodded. "Un."

"Soooo…. Then?"

"Then what Kami-chan?"

"… Nothing. Nevermind." She would give Kyoko the chance to talk when she was willing. Until then, Kaminari could wait. It would be bad to get Kyoko flustered and cause her to run away before anything really happened. "You keep watching. I'll go say hi."

Kyoko's cheeks were tinged pink, and she felt uncomfortable having been caught. Standing and watching Yashiro while Kaminari very well may tell him would be too embarrassing, so she followed Kaminari two steps behind, her brain working over-drive to come up with an excuse should it come to that.

Fortunately, it didn't. Kaminari didn't divulge that Kyoko had been watching Yashiro, but Kyoko's paranoia held her close to the two. It would be bad if Kami-chan thought I was after Yashiro-san now too! Kyoko looked beside her, at Yashiro's side as he stood talking to Kaminari on his opposite side. The schedule! Maybe if I just…

Before she knew it, she had reached for the planner and yanked it out of Yashiro's hands.

That was the first time Ren had an NG since his trouble with Tsukigomori. He was more aware of where Kyoko stood than ever before. He had noticed her watching him, then he noticed she didn't watch him at all, but rather was watching Yashiro. It piqued his interest, and ever moment he could spare a glance, he looked their direction.

Ren happened to be glancing at the same time Kyoko yanked the planner out from Yashiro's hand, then stuttered a piss-poor excuse for her uncalled for action.

"S-sorry Yashiro-san! It was about to fall!" she handed the planner back as Yashiro scrutinized her.

"Kyoko-chan, I had a firm grip on the bundle in my hand."

"The black one was sliding from between the other books. Are they more scripts for Tsuruga-san?" she deftly tried to steer the conversation away from her sporadic action.

"Actually, they are. He's received two new offers this time. One for another movie. This time, it's by an American Film director!" Yashiro continued to talk excitedly between Kyoko and Kaminari about the prospective roles for his charge.

SUCCESS! I thought I'd been caught there for sure! Well, I guess I was caught, but WHAT were you thinking Mogami Kyoko! I've got to be smarter than that! I guess I didn't think at all really... just saw the book and grabbed… Gotta think of a plan! A REAL plan!

And then it dawned on her. Ren would have the spare key to Yashiro's apartment.