-Oxford - Wednesday: Part 35-
Juliena was so pleased that Kyoko seemed to like the idea of dancing. Her son wasn't one of those people who liked to dance. She never really understood the reason behind it as he never spoke up about it. She had tried to once ask Rick but he shook his head claiming that not every guy liked dancing. Those who did learn to dance did it for a reason. He had pointed out that he himself only knew how to dance because it was how he had won over Tina. Juliena had used dancing as a way to help keep her body in shape but she knew her husband who was far better at ballroom dancing was amazing. Not professional level but still he had worked hard to be that good for a role a long time ago. Now they would dance together in their home on date night. She placed a hand on her cheek just thinking about it as she sighed happily before recalling where she was at the moment, she looked at the young woman in front of her. 'It can bring them together, it will be perfect' she thought to herself before nodding her head, "Oh yes. They have a lovely dance floor here. They sometimes have professional dancing shows here too."
Kuu watched as Kyoko turned towards his son. He could almost image how hopeful she was. 'What are you going to do boy?' he thought to himself as he watched him, Juliena he could tell was expecting him to agree, not happily but agree regardless.
"I don't dance" Ren's words were harsher than he had meant. He wanted to hit himself as he watched those eyes that had been filled with so much hope and want for something lower. It was as if she sinking into the deepest part of the ocean. He closed his eyes he knew that telling her no was for the best. She might be able to hide how badly she was hurt but his mother unknowingly had done something to make it worse. He could tell she was still protecting it even if she didn't realize she was doing so. Yet he really didn't like seeing her like this and he felt helpless at the moment. 'She must really like to dance' he wanted to give in but he wouldn't. He placed a finger under her chin but she jerked away from him and he mentally groaned 'Damnit, don't make me give in Kuon it's for her own good.' Juliena glared at him and he felt like he was being ganged up against.
"Don't mind him then." Kyoko turned to look at Juliena who was smiling warmly. "I'll loan you, my husband." She placed her hand on Kyoko's arm gently, "Kuu is a wonderful dancer." she turned towards Kuu placing a hand on his cheek, "I love dancing with him but" she said dropping her hand from his cheek "It's only fair to share him seeing as your date won't dance with you." she said looking directly at Ren when she said those words and he felt like he was somehow being punished more so when Kuu smirked at him.
Standing up from the booth, Kuu bowed his head. "Lady Kyoko, it would be my greatest honor to dance with you tonight." He smiled warmly at her, "But I must save a dance for my most beautiful wife." Kyoko looked at his hand that he held out towards her before looking towards Juliena who gave a small nod of her head. Kuu watched as she turned back towards him not looking once towards Ren before taking his hand.
"I would be honored to dance with you." Kuu helped Kyoko out and around Juliena as she lifted her legs up and out of the way to make it easier. Kyoko cast one look towards Ren but he couldn't place what she was thinking before looking back towards Kuu. 'This will be perfect for practice' she thought as she smiled at him. 'I'm so happy! Keiji would be so proud of me! So will Amanda and David!'
Kuu noted the anger that was coming from his son and his smile only seemed to widen before he led her away. Juliena looked at her son, "That girl loves to dance I'm told. You could at least done the right thing and gave her one dance. I'm sure you can sway back and forth." she said huffing as she rose from her seat. "I don't know what gotten into you, but you will dance with me. Swaying is something even you can do."
Ren looked at her, he knew she wasn't not talking to him as Ren but as his mother. Yet at the same time, he also knew she was right. Even if he didn't want to dance he didn't want to leave Kyoko when he saw how she was favoring her right side of her body. His mother held out her hand and like he did when he was a child and she insisted on dancing with him he took it and followed after Kuu and Kyoko.
Sho couldn't believe how long he had to wait for a hotel limo to come and get him. He was growing increasingly pissed. Yet he was playing it off cool, he wasn't sure what was going on but he was tired of trying to figure out what those reporters were saying. His French was good, his Japanese, of course, was grand but English. A few words here and there at best, such as 'Hi' 'fuck off' 'bye' 'Wanna have a good time?' His mother had tried to push him to learn all those damn languages but he had never really cared about running the family business. Kyoko, his Kyoko had always been really good at picking up all those damn languages and it pissed him off, even if she didn't understand everything that was said she could direct them to certain rooms, greet them, say farewell and was able to make sure they knew who to ask for if they had any questions. That was only because she pushed herself Sho was sure it wasn't something she actually wanted to learn and French.
'She has never been good at French' the language of love as he thought of it, how she thought of it. She always struggled with but tonight she had spoken it like she was a native 'She was fucking lying this whole time' that had been the thought that ran through his head. He would never have thought she actually been going to school here, that she was learning not only how to speak French but Russian.
He stared down at his phone for a moment he wondered if he could get her number, she was scared. He didn't believe what that man had said, she wouldn't throw him away, she loved him. She was just scared, she was scared they almost got caught too. He should have picked a better place to win her over completely, 'How dare she say I wasn't her first love.'
"Sir" Sho turned around to look at the Reporter, the man reminded him of a walking scarecrow, "I was told you are the young man who claims to be engaged to Lady Kyoko right?" he said in perfect French.
Sho smirked, "Yeah that's right? Since we were kids, I think she was seven at the time?" she had to be, he had been eight when he had been told. At the time it hadn't been anything he really cared about, he was too young to understand fully what it meant, he didn't even really like girls at the time other than they gave him lots of things, just so he would be around. It wasn't until he was older than he fully understood what it meant, what he could get from them.
"Do you mind joining me then? Perhaps for a nice little chat?" he said nodding towards a little pub across the street. "I'll get you a drink, it's a family pub." he winked and that had won him over.
"Sounds good to me," he said in French back to him. 'I'll get her to force the truth out this way.'
It had been a while since Kuu danced with someone who wasn't his wife. Let alone who was so much smaller than him, but the waltz was an easy enough dance to do regardless of the size of the person who you were dancing with, which was why it was the one dance that almost everyone did on this dance floor. Kyoko had one thing going for her, she was taller than an average Japanese woman but it was still something in her favor. More so when he thought about the height difference that would be there if she did end up with his son as Juliena was hoping would happen. If Kyoko could be convinced to love apparently. 'What a pair they will make' he thought to himself as he led her to the dance floor as the music started.
Yet Kuu hadn't been expecting Kyoko to take the stance of a professional dancer, her left hand right below his shoulder, her back straight. The way her head turned to whatever direction he was planning to turn her, she never once seemed uncomfortable as they dance. She read him amazingly and even when he thought to try and trick her she wasn't to be fooled. It didn't seem to matter her footwork was perfect to the point that people had begun to move off the dance floor to simply watch, no they weren't the only ones dancing but the fact was she was making him look so much better than he was. He had seen his wife and son leave the dancefloor to stand around a few other couples and even a few of the staff members who had stopped to watch. 'She's really good' he lifted his arm as she spun, his hand moved towards the right side of her stomach pulling her to his chest. He had felt nothing, no shudder, no jerk, she was flawless even as her hand fell on top of his, leaving him no choice but to take the two steps left before taking her free hand spinning her outwards and then inwards so she was facing him. Turning once and then twice, he dropped his hand to the right of her waist, dipping her. Yet as he expected for someone who knew how to baby an injury as a dancer, her left leg fell behind her, allowing for a much deeper bend without actually resulting in much of a dip at all because the weight was still all on her and not on him. He had to fight the chuckle as he pulled her back to him just as the music died.
Kyoko allowed Kuu to led them off the dancefloor, she followed him just like when they had been dancing. Yet she had not been amused by him as he had attempted to judge how badly she was hurt. Still, she wore her professional smile as she heard the claps, a few people patting Kuu on the shoulder as they walked the short distance away from everyone. Kuu voice was low, "You are a professional dancer?"
"No" it was simple, in truth neither her or Keiji would deem professional until next month so she wasn't lying. Yet she was proud of herself, she had not been scared even when they had started. Then again no one here would be judging each of her mistakes. She also highly doubted any of them were professional dancers. She closed her eyes, she couldn't allow herself to focus on that, her hand touched the right side of her body. The pain was fading, but she knew she was going to have to be careful, she was a fast healer at least that was what Tomi told her once. As long as she didn't overdo anything but she was doing this for more than just her love of dancing at the moment. She needed to prove she was perfectly fine.
"Really? You dance as someone who knows how to protect their injury but still make it look natural and flawless" he said scratching the side of his chin as he noted Juliena and he sighed happily. Kyoko eyes turned towards the woman and back at him before smiling softly as she shook her head.
"I have an amazing partner is all." she placed a hand on his lower arm, "My partner is as amazing as your wife." He looked down at her and he couldn't help but smile brightly.
"My Juliena is one in a million, maybe a zillion." he leaned down slightly, "But you are as well Lady Kyoko, your father is one lucky man. He should be on the rooftops singing how wonderful you are."
Kyoko rolled her eyes, "I rather he didn't. I might have to push him off." He laughed as he stood straight, holding his hand out for Juliena pulling her into a kiss. She turned her eyes away from the two of them. Kyoko hadn't the heart to tell Kuu he was mistaken, that Juliena was like the long waiting breeze that came on a hot summer day that just made everything better. That was something she would never be and what made Juliena so much prettier was that it none of it went to her own head. Yes, Juliena knew she was pretty, but she lived in that world where she only cared about Kuu loving her, fawning over her. As long as he always looked at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world, it wouldn't matter what anyone else thought. She had once thought the same thing, yet she learned that in her case that was a silly belief. Not that she would ever tear that belief from Juliena but love only went so far when it came to what someone looked like. Shoutaro had been all about Juliena because of her looks and he had only been all over her because she had made him angry. Her eyes darted towards Ren before looking down some, 'Which is why I can't trust him to make this believable' she realized 'He is worried but he is not playing his part it must be too hard to want someone like me.'
"You were wonderful darling." Juliena said touching Kuu's cheek, "I've never seen you dance so well before. Not even in the movies." she said wrapping her arms around his neck as the two began to sway together. Quickly lost in their own world and it hit Kyoko quickly what she could do. She couldn't believe she didn't think of it sooner, that it had been watching Kuu take Juliena to the dance floor that she could perhaps sway Ren to her.
"Would you like to dance with me Ren?" she said holding her hand out to him. Keiji said it didn't matter what their real feelings were when one danced you could fool the world and she needed to do that right now.
Ren or perhaps it was more along the lines of Kuon eyes fell upon her hand. Neither one of them would deny that she was beautiful, the way she danced had caught far too many people's attention. More so he had noticed a few reporters had been taking photos. Again perhaps that wasn't such a surprise but he was sure they weren't supposed to be out this far, but maybe they allowed them sometimes he would have to check he knew this place from Lory had strict rules about reporters and were actually really kind to the news media to help assure those rules were kept. His father had been stupid in dancing with her, knowing damn well that she had been hurting. The room began to grow cold around him. "No" he had hoped that would end it, that she would return with him back to the table or better yet see if their ride from the hotel was here so he could take her home so she could properly rest. Then perhaps he could get in touch with Lory and make the man see how big of a mistake this was going to be.
Kyoko shook her head sadly at him before turning her back on him. She began to sway to the music her hips drew his attention before he followed her arms lifted them back up towards her back, only as they lowered to once again draw him back to the way she moved her hips to the music. He felt the eyes that weren't just his own falling on her. He growled under his breath as she didn't seem to even realize what she was attracting attention to herself. 'What are you going to do if someone grabs you and hurts you?' No that wasn't the only thing he had to worry about, he had to worry about them laying their hands on her in a sexual manner because that's exactly what would happen with the way she was moving.
When she turned around looking at him, she held out her hand again for him and he took the few steps towards her. As if drawn in by a siren she smiled softly at him as she touched the side of his neck, his eyes never leaving hers, "I'm fine" she said turning as she pressed her back against his chest he closed his eyes he didn't believe her, because he knew exactly what was hidden under that dress. Taking his hand in her own she pressed it against her stomach he was careful, he didn't want to hurt her even as she took his other hand and placed it on her left hip, "See?" she said softly as she looked up towards him but he didn't see he only knew that when she lifted her leg upwards he was holding onto her, too scared she would hurt herself even as it fell back to the floor. He watched as she spun away from him, never letting go of his right hand. Yet he was again being distracted by the way she swayed her body as she held his hand and he knew he could pull her to him he wanted to pull her to him and so he did. She smiled as she wrapped her free hand around his waist, trying to get him to sway with her.
Ren closed his eyes as he leaned forward, "Stop" he growled under his breath.
"Why?" she said running the hand that had been around his waist up to his chest. Ren knew damn well she didn't understand what she was doing to him and he blamed his hormones and for going to long without having sex.
"You are hurt" His hands moved towards her hips, he had to get her to stop moving but he was too worried about hurting her to really force it upon her.
"When you get hurt, do you stop acting?" His eyes shot open, he knew exactly where she was going with this.
"It's not the same" He felt her left leg move upwards towards his hip and without much thought his hand was holding it in place as she looked at him, she was not amused fact he could feel the heat that seemed to wrap around them.
"Opezdol" He didn't know exactly what his hormones were doing to him but his hand trailed up her leg. He really liked hearing her speak Russian and he didn't know exactly why he liked it so much. Why it made him want to tease her when she did so. Maybe in part, it was because he was indeed Russian, that for much of his life it was something that people had looked down on for, his mixed blood. The fact he was not just an American but both Russian and Japanese. Yet here was this Japanese woman speaking Russian to him and he couldn't help but feel a warmth inside of him even if she was insulting him again. Her leg fell back to the ground and but he held her to him. Even though he knew he had to put an end to this.
Leaning forward he allowed the darkness in him to wrap around him again, he felt her shiver as he held her to him. "Zacroy rot" he was done being a gentleman with her, to try and get her to behave was not working, "Vrubatsa?" he felt another shudder as she looked up at him. He could make her listen he believed that fully, he was waiting for her to pull away from him, how many times did people quickly leave when he used that tone with them. People feared him, no not him as Ren but him as Kuon.
Kyoko stared at him, he was like ice at the moment. She tried to keep from shuddering but she couldn't help the way her body responded and she hated it all the more than she had lost control for even a moment. 'My mind is my strength,' she looked up at him and smiled she knew what to do as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Nyet" he seemed surprised his eyes narrowed and she couldn't help but be amused by him. She couldn't be scared of him for some reason even though she supposes she should be at the moment, "But you can" she reached up kissing him, his lips were soft which she didn't expect at all. She knew right away when he froze, she had noted it the first time. He always seemed to freeze up, much like she did whenever she wasn't prepared to be touched. She pulled away from him completely walking off the dancefloor. Much as she expected he didn't follow and that gave her time and that's exactly what she needed at the moment. 'I can't believe I did that' she winced mentally at herself. 'It was the right move, no one would be able to question it right? He's going to be so mad at me, I just know it.' She wished she read more of her father's awful romance novels or watched any of those awful movies or tv shows he had tried to get her to watch to know if she made the right move or not.
A/N: "Opezdol" is Russian for "Idiot", "Zacroy rot" means "shut up" and "Vrubatsa" is actually Russian slang for "Understand?" while "nyet" just means "no"