-Oxford - Wednesday: Part 11-
Kyoko couldn't believe that this was happening, that she was in the bathroom, trapped. Her eyes trailed towards Keiji as he leaned against the door, he would wait for her and she knew that. At least that's what she believed. Keiji was a hard person to move once he set his mind on something and normally that was something she liked about him. It was when it was directed at her when she was doing her best to keep everyone out of what was going on that it became a truly annoying and even more so frightening ability of his. The truth of the matter was if he wasn't Keiji and it was someone else she likely would have put more of a fight against them if it was someone in her family anyways. Still, she wouldn't make this easy for him. If he wanted to know he was going to have to work for it. That was her way of getting even at him for daring to threaten her to do it in front of everyone else.
Keiji watched her, he was not in the mood really to deal with this but the fact remained that now that he had watch Ren and whatever he had seen lurking in that man's eyes he didn't really have much time to be waiting for her to get over whatever her hang up was and the way she was acting in his mind made it clear that she was putting up a fight even if they both knew that he would get what he wanted in the end. So crossing his arms in front of his chest, mocking her a bit he leaned against the bathroom door, "Do you require me to undress you?" he watched as she began to turn red. 'Great she's mad' he winced slightly as she yelled at him.
Kyoko was shaking, but not in fear in anger. A small part of her knew she was being childish but she didn't care at that moment and was resisting the urge to stomp her foot like a small child throwing a tantrum which in all respect she was on the verge of doing as it stood. "I can take it off myself!"
"Then do it already, stop stalling." his voice was just as loud as her own but unlike her shouting, he hadn't shouted at all.
All that did was make her feel more like a child throwing a fit. Voice control, why couldn't she have such control over her own voice like that? Why did she have to feel like she was a small child being lectured by her parent? She mentally shook her head before looking back at him. She held her chest tighter, not caring she was trying to control how her whole body wanted to react. To throw her arms up and stomp her feet and scream. Yet she noticed he was getting annoyed at her and she could read he was running out patience with her. More so when he moved forward. Almost like a deer caught in the headlights she didn't move at first, that childish behavior she had been feeling under the surface disappeared into nothing. She quickly regained control over her body and backed away from him, not paying much attention in how she was doing so she knocked Kyo's makeup kit all over the bathroom floor in her attempt to distance herself from him.
Keiji sighed, he wasn't trying to scare her and it was more clear to him that he had just done so when his mom's makeup scattered across the floor. 'Troublesome' he knelt down and began to pick up the collection 'Exactly how much makeup do you need?' and the worse part was he knew his mother had a ton more, this was her travel kit and this was more makeup then he thought a single human being needed. 'Women are scary.' His eyes turned towards Kyoko and she knelt down apologizing for making the mess he only nodded for a moment.
Kyoko eyes widen as he grabbed her upper arm pulling her towards him, into his chest. She knew exactly what he was planning before he even began and she quickly pushed him harder than she meant to against the cupboard in the process. The truth he had realized what she was going to do, it was like when they danced the way they responded to each other. He had released her just as quickly but it hadn't been fast enough because he had hit the cupboard under the sink. Not that she had to worry about him ever hurting her or forcing himself on her. Mainly because they just weren't like that. No Keiji was safe and she knew that better than anyone. he would never crave her body, he would never want anything to do with her like that. That made him perhaps her closest male companion. Blinking slightly she found a new understanding between David and Amanda. If she was to have had a twin brother, he would have exactly been like Keiji. She placed her hand over her mouth.
Keiji eyes looked at her, she realized something else but he didn't really care at the moment, "What did you do that for?" he said straightening himself up.
"It was your own fault," she said softly as she went back to picking up the makeup and trying to sort them the way she could only imagine that Kyo would do.
He leaned against the cupboard. Truth be told Keiji couldn't deny that he was at fault this time still didn't mean it set well with him that she had responded like this. "I don't get why you are trying to hide it from me. I already know about it. I just want to know how bad it really is." She froze in place and he knelt forward starting to pick up the pieces again he could tell that she was bubbling with emotions again as if she didn't know if she wanted to cry or scream. He winced as she finally gathered herself enough to choose.
"It's just..." she shook her head before throwing several of the lipsticks at him. He ducked before grabbing her arms, more to keep her from throwing more things at him than anything else and winced more as she shouted "Stop being so rough!" she knew he wasn't exactly being rough at all actually she was the one being rough and he quickly picked her up off the floor putting her on the edge of the tub before shaking his head. Kyoko blinked knowing that he had moved her so she would be out of missile throwing range as he finished picking up the bits and pieces of makeup. She sighed heavily she really was being childish and she knew it. He was only doing this because he cared and he was worried and that's exactly what she didn't want.
"Maybe I should have told Lory what I already know." he mentally sighed as he finished picking up the rest of the items. He rose to put them back on the sink before his eyes turned up towards the lights that seemed to be dimmed 'Great... so troublesome.' He looked at Kyoko through the mirror he saw the fear and anger merging within her as she seemed to explode finally.
Kyoko's children began to come forth, her anger prior had been nothing compared to this as they began to slam themselves against the door and walls of the bathroom. "Don't you dare!" she was truly upset with him, 'How dare he, how dare he do this to me?' He could ruin everything "I mean it Keiji!" she was panicking as if him knowing how bad would somehow backfire and destroy everything she was trying to do.
"He should know though Kyoko," he said looking at her only thrown the mirror. Truth be told he was going to tell him regardless but how much he tells the man depends on what her plans were. How can he make his plans without all the information? His eyes narrowed as he looked down at the sink, 'Troublesome, this whole damn thing is just troublesome' he wondered when he began to care so much. Didn't Daiki and Keiji agree that when Kuon left the mess that became of Juliena and Kuu, singly handing almost destroying their marriage? Leaving their mother to try to pick up the pieces that he had left, that they would not let anyone enter their world again. If they weren't family it didn't matter and she wasn't family to either of them. Kyo was her godmother, that was the end of the connection between them so why the hell did he even care? His eyes looked up into the mirror as she spoke.
"If I show you, will you promise not to tell him?" her voice was soft. Her eyes flicked up towards the mirror where he was looking at her. 'If Father finds out he'll never leave, I'll never get Heth. He will never pay and someone else will be the target... no." Tomi's voice echoed in her head 'He's not the kind to just give up, if he sees any sign that he can get what he wants he will make it.' Tomi might not have done anything to stop them, his own goals outriding her own but that didn't mean anything to her. She fully understood what it meant now, where he was coming from. To get what you want sometimes you had to keep yourself from doing the things you really wanted to do 'Like running and hiding.' Which every part of her wanted to do but she could not allow it. 'I know what he can do, I know how to play my role with him. I can handle what they do to this body.' she looked down her eyes narrowing slightly 'I just need to protect my mind or heart.'
Keiji watched her, she was slowly getting lost in her own world again and he had to bring her back, if she went too far down that rabbit hole who knew when she would come back up, "I can't promise that." he watched as her head shot up to look at him. He turned and leaned against the sink, "I might be swayed not to tell him right away though." he said looking towards her, "that's the best I can do." He would have to let her figure out and think about it. He could give her a few more minutes for that more importantly how he was going to explain the damage in the bathroom 'well it's not to bad… it could have been worse' his eyes trailed towards her 'anger, that's her trigger but has to be more than that... ' He still didn't understand her strange power. Only that she didn't seem to be able to control it, 'Will she ever be able to do so?'
Kyoko shifted where she was sitting on the tub before looking away from him. There really wasn't going to be a choice, but maybe if she could plead her case he will help her keep this from her Father. It was the best she could hope for at this point. She took a deep breath noticing how he looked towards her as she stood up. "Alright..." she said lifting up the dress no longer looking at him, she knew how it looked, she knew the expression he would likely make. Had not bother Ruto and General Brown been surprised by it all. She could not think he wouldn't be either. She felt him move forward, he touched the bruises and she winced slightly as he had her turn before sighing and pulling the dress back into place.
"Kyoko… you can't hide that from Lory." his words were kind but she knew that he would not let this drop. All hope that he would understand disappeared at that moment. She sat back down on the edge of the tub while he sat against it, neither one of them really looking at each other. Just taking comfort at the moment that the truth was out of how bad it was.
"It's alright Keiji, I've had worse." she had seen worse not that he needed to know exactly how much worse she had seen or how much worse she had been in. Kyoko wanted to try and get him on her side, perhaps push how important it was for this to be kept from being too well known, "Besides if Daddy finds out, he won't let me do what I need to do."
"What's that?" He really didn't think he was going to like what she wanted to do. 'Why can't you just be like a normal woman and hide behind the people who want to protect you?' his eyes narrowed 'But then if you were like that, I likely wouldn't give nearly as much about you.'
"To catch Heth… I must be the bait…" she said holding herself now as she looked at him. The look on his face told her he really didn't like her plan, it wasn't exactly much of a plan either and she knew that too but it was all she had at the moment.
"That's not a plan, that's just being stupid." He growled under his breath as he ran a hand through his hair, "Damn Kyoko don't you know how dangerous this is?" he nodded towards her waist as if she had clearly forgotten, "What the hell would you have done if that guy hadn't been there?"
There was truth in that but the fact was that had he not shown up, then well it wouldn't have mattered. She would have been hurt badly yes but nothing within what could be expected as far as Heth knew that was their first time meeting and he wouldn't have killed her. Just put her in her place. A place that was so low that she would be begging to do whatever he wanted as long as she didn't get hurt. Not that he would have listened, of course, there would have been the pain still she had seen that too. Until either, she was desiring either such treatment or the treatment of any other man. She broke his mold the first time, that was her where her strength was. Tomi had taught her how to beat him... it would hurt but she could win again. "I'm the only one who can do it Keiji. He already had a taste he won't let me go anyways." she shook her head. "Daddy needs to be in Japan, Ruto needs to be in Japan." Her eyes turned towards the door, "and Ren needs to be in Japan." her eyes turned back towards him. "They will only be in the way."
Keiji felt defeated all of a sudden like this would happen one way or another. She would not let it go, she would just put herself more at risk than let it go, and short of locking her up so she could never escape what choice did he really have but to help her right now? "I will make sure they go home on two conditions Kyoko"
"What is that?" he didn't miss the shock in her voice that he had agreed but he also knew that she would not be happy with his requests either.
"First you tell Lory." he shook his head as she started to protest, "You explain it to him. He could protect you but you need to give him your reasons why he can't but he needs to know, he is your father and while I know that idea of a parent is still pretty new to you. It doesn't change that as your father he will want to add whatever protection he can to assure you come back to him. That's where the second part comes into play you need to make sure you have some sort of protection. You can't do this alone. No matter what you think, General Brown is not enough."
"Keiji are you done yet? I'm sick of babysitting your kid, I got work to do." Keiji looked at her, guess time was up. So she wouldn't be given much time to try and fight him on this Keiji could only thank his brother for his perfect timing of getting fed up with their guest.
"Well? Are you telling him or am I?" she sighed heavily before looking down at her hands. "I either make sure he goes back to Japan with the other two," he said simply, "Or I will not. Those are basically your choices." He saw the defeat on her face as he rose to his feet.
"Fine... " she said softly he held out his hand pulling her up to him, he laid his forehead against hers for a moment before pulling away.
Keiji moved towards the door, opening it up allowing Kyoko to slip through first and to Ruto's side as he followed his hands in his pocket pulling out his cell phone he texted Lory.
I got the answer, she'll tell you when you get here but before that, we're going to have a talk. - K
I'm not going to like it, am I? - L
No - K
He slips his phone back into his pocket before looking towards Daiki who was leaning against their bedroom door. "Was he good?"
Ren was at a lost, he knew that Daiki had told him just a small detail, he might not even have realized it. 'So who are the people acting like nothing was done to her?' He felt his a pain in his chest as he eyes moved towards her waist, knowing exactly what had Heth had done had caused a deep rage from inside him and he closed his eyes allowing himself to take a deep breath 'What exactly is she fighting against?'
"Was he good?" Keiji's voice caused Ren to look up at him before taken a deep breath. His eyes settling on Kyoko once more before looking away.
'I'm not even supposed to know a thing about what happened to her, how the hell can I keep her safe?' He wondered slightly if that's what Keiji had meant when he said he wasn't strong enough.
"Yeah, we had a nice little chat." Daiki said looking at him, "Right Ren-chan?"
Ren could only flash a smile, it was fake and he noticed that Kyoko had taken a step behind Ruto in the process. His anger was growing but it was because he was a feeling of helplessness. Regardless of how he thought about it, he was doomed as Kuon because the chances were high he wouldn't have been here at this show to have been with Kyoko when she was attacked either time. He was also doomed as Ren. Ren wasn't family and there was nothing that would change that fact 'unless I married into the family and even then I wouldn't be marrying as Ren' he mentally hated this whole thing. Yet what he found himself hating most is not understanding exactly what was happening. 'Why is she fighting?' his eyes narrowed as he sat down trying to process the whole thing. 'Are either of us needed in the end?' He mentally sighed as he buried his face in his hands.
He would have flinched at the hand that touched the top of his head, yet Ren would never have done such a thing. He opened his eyes seeing the petite girl bending slightly, 'Why?' Ren couldn't understand why she was so worried about him at that very moment. Yet he fought the urge to wrap his arms around her and take comfort from her more so when he felt deep down he should be giving her that comfort. 'How did you get so strong?' he closed his eyes.
"We should get lunch started."
Kyoko had pulled away and he felt a sudden lost all over again, what made him wonder however was how she seemed to not only be scared of his fake smiles but if he didn't have that one on and just allowed himself to be true to his emotions she was there. Calming him and comforting him. That the moment he seemed to calm down she was gone hurt though.
Kyoko, "Tsuruga you need to make sure your manager knows where you are."
"Why is everyone treating me like a kid?" he shook his head, as Keiji sat down next to him.
"Maybe because you are acting like one?" He could tell that Keiji wasn't being mean about it but he still couldn't help but shoot a glare at him.
It was true though he had forgotten to tell Yashiro that apparently, he had a babysitter thanks to Lory. Not that he planned to use those exact words. He would never be able to live it down if he did. Kyoko sighed shaking her head at the younger man before walking towards the bedroom door. Ren hadn't even noticed that Daiki had returned to the bedroom, though the door was open.
"Daiki, you shouldn't bother restarting your project. You need to eat lunch." She paid no mind to the fact he was muttering something before shaking her head again, "No it's important to eat." she placed a hand on her cheek, "I guess I could have Laura come to get you." This time Ren heard for a don't you fucking dare comment come from the bedroom before she smiled, "Then I'll see you in about 30 minutes when Keiji and Tsuruga" she turned and away from the door just as it slammed shut, Ren couldn't help but think the smile that played on her face was beautiful.
Ruto had moved forward and she gave a small bow of her head, "I'll see you both for lunch." She wagged a finger slightly "and no excuses Tsuruga you are not allowed to break Maria's heart." they said their farewells as Kyoko and Ruto left the room. Ren lowered his head again, trying to calm his inner being but apparently Keiji was just going to throw a wrench into his brain.
"Guess she cares about you," Ren's head shot up looking at Keiji.
"Why do you say that?"
"Forget it," he said simply leaning against the armrest as he flipped on the TV. Leaving Ren or maybe Kuon trying to figure out what the hell he saw to make him think that she cared about him when she was clearly with Keiji.
A/N: This will indeed with Kyoko and Kuon/Ren together in the end. This is a plot-driven story, thus the genre being Drama first vs the Romance (which is secondary to the story)