I can't believe the number of reviews for the first chapter! And they just keep coming! So I've decided to continue this, but it will only be a total of four chapters. I want to keep to how long yet simple the first chapter was, so this will not be a long story. Thank you all that reviewed/alerted/favorited!
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat!.
Also, Sho's new song/PV is "MakeDamnSure" by Taking Back Sunday, which I also do not own. I would suggest going to listen to the whole song on YouTube.
Together
Time has past and the couple remains a couple, but for how long can it last?
"Ren!" Kyoko cried, squirming out from under the assault of his mouth. "Stop that! We have to go to LME!" She desperately tried to duck out from his hold, kicking until she was free to sweep her legs off the edge of the bed. She held the blanket up on her chest with one hand, the other fist on her cocked hip. "How unprofessional will you act, Tsuruga-san?" she demanded, though it wasn't vicious with the content sparkle in her eyes. She knew how much her use of his last name bothered him, so it had become something that she used to make a point.
With a flare in his eyes, Ren swung out his arm, easily catching her around the waist to bring her back on the bed and on top of his chest. "But I love being unprofessional." He kissed where her jaw became her neck, gently disengaging her hand from the sheet around her. "Besides, we have more than enough time to make it to the agency...after." He rolled so that his long body was stretched out over hers, a smile on his face. With a slow, languid kiss, he pulled on the blanket around her, murmuring how beautiful she was in the morning light.
It had been two months since their first night together. Since they'd spoken in the conference room, many things had come to fruition.
Kyoko had, tearfully, moved out from the Taisho and Okami-sama's care and into Ren's apartment. They'd both decided that if they were going to have a child, they should be living together, especially considering both their schedules. Since the Dark Moon party had aired, Kyoko's fame had shot through the roof, though she was still doing dramas, not movies. Besides, she was spending most of her nights there anyways; it was the only logical thing to do.
At the three week mark, though, they'd found that there wasn't going to be a baby. Neither had known whether that was a good or bad thing, whether they were happy or not. Though they were glad that they hadn't done something as life-changing as create a baby, they had grown more accustomed to the idea and it had been nice to think of.
They hadn't gone public, however. Since Ren's address was need-to-know, the paparazzi were unaware that he now had a permanent roommate. Lory and Yashiro were pushing the pair to out their relationship, but neither thought that they were to the point where they could handle it. First, there was the fact that Kyoko didn't want to seem like she was using Ren to increase her popularity; until she had enough acting under her belt, she couldn't announce that she was paired with the Tsuruga Ren. Not to mention the large, walking problem that seemed to show up at the worst possible times.
Fuwa Sho.
Over the time that Ren and Kyoko moved in together, got used to each other's presences every day, Sho hadn't made an appearance, which allowed them more time to grow closer. Unfortunately, one of the biggest jobs that Kyoko was offered was a reappearance in another of his PVs.
His fans had greatly enjoyed her part in the "Prisoner", even went so far as to say that it was like the killer angel was a better fit for the demon. Until then, Sawara had been overlooking the offers, worried about having to find a chaperone for her to make sure she didn't do anything crazy. But the President had given the thumbs-up for her to be a part of it.
Once Kyoko heard about the offer and was given all the information on why she was being asked to return, she had felt there was no choice other than to participate. She didn't want to upset the core group of her fans by denying them a part they had practically gotten for her.
After accepting the job, she had tried for days to find a way to tell Ren that she was working with that guy once again. Would he be furious? What if he kicked her out? She didn't want to ruin what they had by making him lose his trust in her. Surely, with this new step in their relationship, he would know that she wasn't plotting against Sho or trying to go back to him. Ren was a part of the business, too; he would understand why she had to take the job.
Now's the time, she decided, knowing she would have to say it before he completely removed thought from her mind. "Ren, I have to talk to you about something," she murmured, chanting in her head to keep focused. When he didn't stop his slow kisses, she brought her hands to either side of his face, gently disengaging the touch of his lips from her body, though it left her feeling bereft. "It's important," she said.
He blinked down at her before that natural smile came to his face. Playing with a strand of her hair in his fingers, he answered, "Okay. As long as it's important."
Now that he was smiling at her like that, she didn't want to ruin his mood. She could only image the dark gleam that would come to those beautiful blue eyes—she'd learned that he wore colored contacts—when she mentioned Sho in their bedroom, in their bed. This was supposed to be their sanctuary, where there was no one else in the world but them. And she was about to completely ruin that.
Staring up at him, she mumbled incoherently, "Part...Sho's...PV."
Ren tilted his head to better hear her, having caught nothing of what she said. But when he asked her to repeat herself once more, it wasn't much better. Sighing, he said, "Kyoko, you're going to have to speak up. I can't understand what you're saying when you are so quiet."
Paling noticeably, she ducked her head beneath the blanket that separated them, shouting, "I was asked to do a part in another one of Sho's PVs!"
Everything stilled at her announcement. She didn't dare to breathe, felt Ren tense up above her. The light from the window—which would race across the opposite wall—stopped, not so much as a flutter. The air-conditioning system no longer purred, the soft whirring of parts completely silenced. Even noises from the outside world were quieted, as if there were no one else in the world but them.
After one long second, Ren's clenched fists unfurled and she heard a soft chuckle above her, making her peek over the edge of the blanket. "Is that all?" he asked with a smile, resting his chin in the valley between her breasts. "That's not so bad, Kyoko." As long as there are no kissing scenes between the two of you. "Besides, you'll have to meet up with him at some point, right? It will be much better for you to keep it in a professional setting."
Kyoko mulled over his words, wondered if he actually meant them. Deciding not to push her luck, she grinned in return. "That's true. I mean, I'll just be coming back here anyway, right? It's not like he'll be able to corner me."
Ren's smile broadened, but he still wasn't pleased to say the least. Especially since their conversation made it impossible to get morning nooky. Unless... "I need to shower; care to join me?" He didn't bother to try and hide "The Emperor", as Kyoko called it, from his tone.
With a naughty smirk, she purred, "I'll race you to it."
You can't keep everything from the press...
Two days later, a blonde man stood in the center of a crowded city square, unable to make himself move. It was as if no part of his body would respond to what he wanted it to do, as if his mind were completely shut down. All because of a sight that had barely caught his eye, much to his manager's fear. She had been trying her best to block any sign of it from his view, but he stood too high over her. Now, he couldn't make himself do anything more than stare.
High up above his head, on the largest billboard in the square, was a picture of Kyoko. Though she was no longer the Kyoko he had grown up with, he would have recognized that look on her face anywhere, the depth of feeling in her eyes shining brightly. She was completely transparent and it was that that threw him.
She was so surprisingly...beautiful. Where had the girl gone that had been plain and almost off-putting? There was a fire in her golden eyes that hadn't been there before. It was different from when they'd been younger; there had never been a reason for fire in her eyes then. It was even different from the fire that leaped into her eyes whenever he crossed paths with her.
No, this wasn't a fire of anger or hate. This was the fire that came into his fans' eyes when he came on stage or passed them in a hallway.
She was in love and willing to fight to stay that way.
And she was staring up at Tsuruga Ren.
It was obvious that the picture had been taken when neither had realized. Otherwise, she would have been standing farther away from that damn Tsuruga. There was no way she could be so cozy with that actor, not when she was hung up on Sho.
Damnit, that was how it had always been! She'd always been by his side, always loved him above everyone else. She had taken bullying—that she thought he hadn't known about—teasing, and his mood swings without so much as batting an eyelash. Until she'd heard his true motives for bringing her with him to Tokyo, she'd been willing to work sixteen hour days just so he would have anything he wanted. Wasn't that how it was supposed to be again after he'd taken her first kiss? Women were supposed to be tied to the person that took their first kiss for the rest of their lives.
What if Tsuruga had taken her second?
The thought, unwelcome and unholy, came to his mind, filling him with rage. His rival wasn't supposed to be able to take over her heart. No, she was Sho's and he would fight that stupid man for her until the day she returned to him.
It disgusted him. He was the one she'd become an actress to defeat. His kiss had been her first. So why was she looking up at Tsuruga Ren like that? This was much deeper than kouhai and sempai. He could handle respect; it would make her efforts for vengeance more interesting if she kept Tsuruga in high regards. But if she thought that he would let her fall in love with his enemy so easily...
She had another think coming.
Somehow, he managed to look away from Kyoko's face, turning his gaze instead to Tsuruga's. The actor's hair, normally so perfectly coiffed, was in slight disarray, as if he'd woken up and only ran his fingers through it. One long arm was straightened, hand pressing against the glass of a door to hold it open for his companion. A white V-neck sweater—not too tight, not too loose—and dark, worn-in jeans only amplified his already long and lean frame. But what really got to Sho was the grin on his face. It wasn't the frightening too-polite smile that had thrown the singer when the two had met. Nor was it the challenging smirk that would come to his face whenever he interrupted a tense moment between Kyoko and Sho.
This was a truly happy smile, as if there were no place in the world he would rather be than at the girl's side.
What the hell? How could Japan's number one actor fall for plain Kyoko just as she did him? There was no way! Though Sho hated to admit it, the bastard could have any woman he wanted; all he had to do was ask. But he had fallen in love with Sho's Kyoko?
The sick prick.
Dozens of reasons for why that was wrong ran through Sho's mind. She was eighteen; Tsuruga was twenty-two. She was practically an innocent farm girl; he was a famous actor. She was oblivious; he could get anyone.
And he'd chosen Sho's property?
I have to get her back. No matter what.
The headline beneath the picture read "Are Tsuruga Ren and Kyoko-chan an Item?" The question made his heart hurt at the same time his blood reached full boil. The press could blow things out of proportion, couldn't they? It wasn't too strange to think that a male sempai might give his young, female kohai a ride home from work to protect her; it didn't mean the two were on a date.
Right?
Even with his limited memory of what the LME office looked like, Sho knew that it wasn't anything like where they were leaving from. No, this almost seemed like a restaurant or theater or even an expensive hotel. Had they actually gone on a date? Maybe Tsuruga or Kyoko had confessed to the other and now they really were an item.
No, Sho thought to himself. That would be suicide for both involved. Tsuruga would lose almost his entire fan-base and Kyoko would be targeted by those angry fans. The actor's entire public persona revolved around the fact that he was available and just needed to find The One. And Kyoko simply wasn't famous enough to survive dating such a high-profile actor. She would start getting treated as if she had used her relationship—the thought of that word being used to describe the two of them made him sick—to gain fame.
God forbid they got a combined "couple" name and then broke up. All hell would break loose.
Turning away from the billboard, Sho knew what he was going to do about this little development. He wasn't about to let this atrocity go without a fight. No, he would destroy this before it went too far.
Then he would bring her back to his side and keep her there.
"Sho," Shoko said nervously as his strides became more purposeful, bent on a specific goal. "Sho, please don't cause problems. Kyoko-chan has gathered a huge portion of your fans as her own after her work in 'Prisoner' and we can't jeopardize her agreement to be in the next PV—" Her words cut off when the singer stopped mid-stride, his entire body stiff as he slowly turned to look back at her.
The expression on his face was, to say the least, terrifying. Much as he had after his last incident with Kyoko, he was smiling with evil, perverse pleasure, as if he had finally gotten his upper hand.
But what could be going through his mind? He still had to write the song for the next PV; could he be forming a plan against—for—Kyoko before they even knew what would happen? One look at his face told the curvaceous manager all she needed to know.
He definitely could. And would.
How much stress can one couple withstand?
Two weeks of dodging the paparazzi was almost more than Kyoko and Ren could stand. Since the picture of them leaving the restaurant had hit the press, people everywhere were trying to get more pictures of the two together. Most were hoping to either prove or disprove the rumor of their relationship; others just wanted some memorabilia.
Which meant that they were being attacked morning, noon, and night. Kyoko, who had never dealt with such a thing in her life, had no idea how to properly answer their questions without giving away any information before speaking to President Takarada. Everything moved too fast for her, too many questions were thrown at her. Finally, she could only take the offer Lory had given her over the phone: until he got back, she would be driven too and from work only by LME security.
Today, though, was the day Lory finally returned from his vacation. Ren and Kyoko would be able to talk to him about what he thought they should do in their situation.
Ren could already hear the older man's advice. Announce your love to the world!
"I don't even understand why you feel like you need to talk to the President about this," Yashiro said in a bored tone. "You should just come out with it. Everyone knows now anyways." He was looking out the window, not paying much attention to anything in particular. Ever since Kyoko and Ren had gotten together, he'd lost his personal form of entertainment. With the two of them already so lovey-dovey, he had nothing to aim for.
At least, that was what he let his client think.
A muscle twitched in Ren's brow as his hands tightened on the wheel. He reined in that reckless side of his personality, however, and replied through slightly clenched teeth, "I really don't care whether we tell the public or not. But I'm not the one whose reputation could be destroyed. Kyoko has much more to lose than I and she wants to talk to Lory before we make any decisions."
Yashiro rolled his eyes, though internally he grinned wickedly.
Everything was going as planned. He and Lory had practically connived the entire situation since they'd noticed the difference in both Ren's and Kyoko's actions months before, knowing that something had definitely happened. At that time, they hadn't realized just how far it had gone, but now they completely backed the couple's every move. The President had been careful to keep their relationship hush-hush—bribes and threats, you know—until the time when the two would be strong enough to handle it.
Now, they were.
And soon, there will be a big princess-style wedding! Then Roko babies! They better make me a godfather soon! Yashiro's thoughts ran rampant, fluttering around the question of whether the children would look more like their father or their mother. Black hair with golden eyes or gray? Long, lean frames or short, petite ones?
Ren knew better than to interrupt when that dreamy expression was on his manager's face, fearing what he would say. Whatever he was thinking about, it had to have something to do with his obsession with Ren's relationship and, honestly, there was nothing he wanted to hear less about at that precise moment.
He and Kyoko hadn't spoken about the Sho's-PV situation since she'd originally brought it up. He'd pretended like he was all right with it; she was just trying to further her career, he knew. But he didn't trust Fuwa as far as he could throw him. After all the games he'd played with Kyoko and his need to monopolize her, he couldn't be sure how far he would go now that Ren and Kyoko have become "Roko". The boy's pride was fragile, and he was obviously used to getting what he wanted. If he tried to take the orange-haired actress from Ren, Kuon might make an unfortunate appearance and do something he wouldn't be proud of.
Pulling up to LME, Ren sighed as he saw the reporters swarming around the entrance, trying to question anyone they could find. Expecting them to attack him the moment he stepped out of the car, he was surprised when his feet hit the ground and no one came near him. Both he and Yashiro searched for the reason that he was ignored, meeting the answer at the same moment.
Kyoko. She was struggling—in her obnoxious pink LoveMe uniform—to get past the piranhas without causing any harm to anyone. Her polite attitude was getting her forced every which way, men and women shoving cameras and microphones in her face. Anger flared within Ren at the sight of her being hassled and before his manager could stop him, he was storming towards her, a dark aura surrounding him even as a gentlemanly smile stretched his mouth.
"Excuse me," he said, his voice strong and resounding against the montage of questions.
The paparazzi turned their faces towards him, in awe at the sight before them. Tsuruga Ren with a bright, almost too-shiny smile was standing right in front of them, mere feet from the other half of a country-wide scandal. What were the chances that the two would show up at almost the same time? It was a gold mine of a day!
"Tsuruga-san, what is your relationship with Kyoko-chan?"
"Are the two of you dating?"
"How long has this been going on?"
Clearing his throat, he watched out of the corner of his eye as Kyoko slipped inside, disappearing in the sanctuary of their office building. "I'm sorry, but this building doesn't allow media reporters on the premises." He kept his tone and features gentle. "If you call to set up an interview with my manager, I'd be happy to answer your questions." Or not. Thank God Yashiro schedules me so I have very little down time.
Without further ado, he moved through the parting crowd, following after his girlfriend to make sure that she was all right. He knew that if this continued much longer, she might have one of her infamous breakdowns, where she would assume that it was her fault.
And he wasn't sure he could deal with that at the moment.
A musician that likes to cause trouble could throw another wrench in the couple's plans.
I just wanna break you down so badly, in the worst way.
The last words echoed through the room as everyone gathered for the first demo of Sho's new song sat in silence. Had there ever been such a dark love song on one of Fuwa Sho's CDs? The feeling that emanated from the sound of his voice, even on the unedited demo, was one that caused a small stir of panic as well as desire. There was a strange truth to the song, implying that Sho actually felt those feelings towards someone.
Would his fans enjoy something so almost-dark from a man that they saw as a boy? Or would this be the push he needed to become less boyish and more manly?
"Sho," Shoko finally said, breaking the silence, "when did you...uh...write this?" She was afraid to ask because she was afraid of his answer. She was sure that it was directed at Kyoko—was there any doubt of that to begin with? But how would this change the tenuous truce between him and a certain actor that was involved with Sho's childhood friend? Was he ready for the fall out of releasing such a song?
A smirk crossed his face. "Just came to me, I guess."
So, yes, it was when he'd given her that frightening smile after seeing that billboard.
Sho leaned forward, suddenly all business, looking everyone in the room in the eye. "I want this to be the song for my next PV. I want to release this as soon as possible and I've already got the ideas for the video's storyline." She wants to go out with my rival? Fine. I'll make her relive the pain that made her run.
He wasn't out to win her anymore. Over the past two weeks, his thoughts on the matter had shifted. No, he didn't want her back; he wasn't taking Tsuruga Ren's sloppy seconds. But he would remind those two of his hold over Kyoko's entire life. He would show them what would happen when someone took what was his.
The main producer was watching him with an unreadable expression locked behind intertwined fingers. Slowly, his hands met the table and he stood, pushing his chair back. He said nothing for a moment before a dark grin—matching Sho's earlier one—spread over his face. "I like the song. You give us the right idea for the PV and it will be released in less than a month."
Smiling in mutual male knowledge, Sho went on to describe his vision for the PV, careful to mention that the actress was already chosen.
"Hmm. Interesting." The producer crossed to the window, looking out with crossed arms. "And the actress is the one that signed that contract? The one in the gossip magazines with Tsuruga Ren?" At the quick answer from Shoko that kept Sho from answering, the man smirked. "Perfect. This is going to be absolutely perfect."
Kyoko leaves the meeting for Sho's PV distraught and may make a fatal mistake...
There was no way. He couldn't have actually...Sho wouldn't...would he drudge up that entire ordeal? Was he really going to make her reenact something that had torn her entire world apart? What was she supposed to do? She couldn't back out now, but could she really do this? Could she show the world exactly how she had been treated by Sho when they'd come to Tokyo?
Could she really relay the love she'd once felt for him?
Striding quickly down the Akatoki hall, she darted into a private bathroom—ignoring the fact that it was for Executives Only—and pulled out her phone, desperate to hear Ren's voice. He always knew how to put things into perspective, make her feel better.
Kyoko dialed him quickly, trying to hold back the tears that choked her. She listened to it ring several times, pain blossoming in her heart the longer it took him to pick up. He's at work; of course he isn't going to pick up. I'm probably just being a nuisance. I can't interrupt him.
Just as she was about to hang up, she heard a click and then Ren's soft voice asking, "Kyoko? Are you done with your meeting already?"
Though the hurt subsided within her chest, she couldn't stop the lump in her throat from changing the tone of her voice. "Hello, Ren. Yes, it just...it just ended a few minutes ago." She tried to control the wobble in her voice, tried to contain the tears that she knew were going to come whether she liked it or not. With the paparazzi watching her every move, the constant battering of questions, and now this Sho development, Kyoko had no idea how to deal with the stress. She couldn't help but think that life would be better if she just went back to her natural hair-color and moved back to Kyoto.
She should have known that Ren would immediately catch on to her mood. "What happened?" he asked quickly, something akin to panic—or maybe anger—rising in his voice. "Did the paparazzi do something? Don't say anything until the interview next week; just walk right past them like the President told you to."
Her shoulders shook as she felt the first tear track down her cheek. "C-could you just come pick me up? Are you done with work yet?"
Sympathy and sadness invaded his tone. "I'm sorry, Kyoko; I won't be done for at least another hour. Would you like me to have LME send you a car and driver? They'll bring you back to the apartment." There was a hopeful note in his voice, relaying the worry that he felt for her to walk home alone. They had talked about her being more careful with the paparazzi hounding her, even described how she should react in that situation. If someone got too close to her or started harassing her to the point of physical involvement, she was to run into the nearest building and stay there until one of LME's drivers or Ren was there to pick her up.
Wiping at her cheeks, she forced her voice to be cheerful and said, "Oh, no, I'll just call for a taxi. I don't want to put anyone out."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Thank you, Ren," she answered with deceptive calm. "I'm sorry I interrupted your work."
She could practically hear his eyebrow raise on the other side of the line. "I'm just finishing up my lunch break, so it's fine." A long pause could be heard before he murmured, "You know I love you, right? If you need me, I'll always be here."
Her heart skipped a beat before a teary smile crossed her face. "I love you, too. Goodbye, Ren." As she hung up, she internally berated herself for lying to him, but she didn't want him to worry while he was working. Soon, she would be able to talk to him in person and they could decide where to take things. Of course, she wouldn't tell him that Sho was the reason she was upset; she would just tell him about the plot of the PV and ask him what he thought she should do.
The paparazzi were bothering me, she told herself as she left the bathroom, hurrying towards the exit before anyone could stop her. I have to just let him think that's what was going on. If I tell him about Sho, he'll just get angry.
Though Sho hadn't said anything unprofessional to her during the meeting, she had noticed the smug smirk on his face when the producers had been describing what the story line was. He had hoped to wring this reaction out of her, wanted her to feel this way, as if her situation before had been a joke. If she let him know that he had succeeded by letting him see her tears, she would just be admitting defeat in their long, drawn out battle.
No. He wouldn't beat her.
She was just fine; the stress of the last few weeks was just weighing on her as of late. Soon, there would be nothing to worry about and she would use Sho once again as a stepping stone in her acting career.
The taxi pulled up soon after she left the building and drove her directly to the apartment in silence. As she handed the driver the money, she smiled when he noted that she was Kyoko, the actress who'd played the scariest Mio in Dark Moon. When he asked for an autograph, she signed it haphazardly, answering all the questions he had before going into the building.
Once she was inside, she set about to doing her own form of therapy: cleaning. Unfortunately, she lived there now, so it only took her fifteen minutes to get everything done. With hands on her hips, she surveyed every possible place that she could have overlooked. When she admitted that if she scrubbed anything any more than she already had it would destroy said thing, she went into the kitchen, deciding that she would just waste some time making a large dinner.
And she would make Ren eat all of it.
An hour and a half after their phone call, Kyoko was in the kitchen, finishing up the last of the Western style dinner she'd been preparing. She heard the door open and couldn't help the smile that came to her face. It was half fake, half real; she always felt a flutter in her chest when he appeared, but she also didn't want him to think that there was still something upsetting her.
"Kyoko?" he called as he hung up his jacket and moved deeper into the apartment. "Where are you?" he asked, peaking first in the living room, then their bedroom.
"Kitchen! I'm making dinner." He was there in a flash and she turned her head over her shoulder to smile at him as she finished up with the mashed potatoes. "If you want to go take a shower, dinner won't be done for a little longer. The peppers and steak are cooking a little slower than I had anticipated."
He raised an eyebrow before crossing his arms over his chest. "I see you're doing better now." He glanced over his shoulder to note that the apartment was impossibly shinier than he'd ever seen it. Looking back at her back, he asked, "Do you want to talk about what happened?"
He didn't miss how her shoulders stiffened slightly before they went back to their relaxed position as she turned towards him. A bright smile on her face, she answered, "I'm better now. It's just been kind of stressful lately, you know?" Turning back to her cooking, she added, quieter now, "I shouldn't have interrupted you at work for something so stupid. I need to get used to this kind of thing. I mean, if we're going to tell everyone about us anyways—"
"Did something happen with Fuwa?"
He knew that she wouldn't lie to him. He also knew that he should have guessed that it had something to do with that ass when she called him immediately after a meeting with him. Still, after the week that they'd had, he couldn't help jumping to the conclusion that it was the media hounding her once more.
There was a brief silence before Kyoko sighed and said, "Well, he certainly didn't help matters."
Something in her voice gave it away. The small deceit after worrying about this PV thing for so long was more than he could take. Moving swiftly and silently behind her after she turned off the burners, his arms caged her against the counter, his hand clenching the countertop tightly.
"Kyoko," he murmured in her ear, knowing he was acting like the Demon Lord she sometimes called him. "What are you keeping from me?" It annoyed him that she would still do this. He wondered if she would ever get past this belief that her problems had nothing to do with him. He always wanted her to laugh, to smile; he hated that she took on all her problems by herself, letting the world think she was unshakeable.
When her shoulders quivered against his chest, he froze, knowing that he had hit the mark with the Sho question. He couldn't stop his hands from tightening as the thought of that bastard upsetting her again made him want to track the younger man down. Kuon was bubbling below the surface, furious that a stupid, spoiled little boy would hurt the woman he loved more than anything else. In any way.
Feeling a tear hit the top of his hand, he gently turned her towards him, pulling her into his chest. Her small hands tangled in his shirt and she sobbed into the material of his shirt. He said nothing, stroking her hair to comfort her until the last of her tears dried up.
After a few moments, she whispered against his shirt, "He wrote a new song for the PV I'm in. They want the storyline...they want it to be about what happened with he and I. I have to relive the most painful experience of my life. And he was just making fun of me. All of this is to make fun of me."
Fury tore at Ren's stomach as he set her away from him. He stared down at her as he spoke, his voice shaking with barely controlled violence. "You mean to tell me that he...he's using your past to make a damn PV? And you're still going to act in it?" If he'd had the power to shout at her, he would have, but he couldn't with the sadness welling in her eyes. Her heart was breaking right in front of him and he could do nothing to help her. Nothing he said or did would make her feel better.
Nodding, she took a deep, shaky breath. "I...it's already been announced that I will take part in his next PV. I can't disappoint my fans! I never thought he would go so far. I...I thought that we might be moving on from that." Her eyes teared up again, even more heart-wrenching than they had ever been before.
"Did they give you a copy of the song and storyline?" She nodded again. "Let me see them."
She flew to her bag on the table, taking out a few sheets of paper as well as the CD she'd been given after signing the privacy agreement. Nervously, she bit her lip as he walked to the stereo they'd bought for when she wanted to listen to music while cleaning or cooking. As he pressed play, she blurted out, "The song is hurtful!" as if in warning.
His eyes widened as the lyrics started drifting through the room.
You've got this new head filled up with smoke, and I've got my veins all tangled close.
To the jukebox bars you frequent, the safest place to hide.
"What the hell is this?" Ren demanded, but the song continued until it came to the chorus, making him want to roar in fury.
I just wanna break you down so badly.
Well I trip over everything you say.
I just wanna break you down so badly in the worst way.
Eyes narrowed and leaping with fire, Ren turned off the music with the hard punch of his index finger. Without so much as looking at her, he stormed to the door of the apartment, grabbing his jacket before swinging the door open hard enough for the doorknob to hit the door and create a large hole. He didn't bother saying anything as he started out the door, only to be stopped when her hands wrapped around his wrist, trying to yank him back.
"Ren, don't!" she cried. "You can't just go out and hurt—"
He spun on his heel in the doorway, snarling, "You need to bring this to the President! He needs to know that Fuwa is picking a fight!"
"He knows I won't do anything!"
"He knows that I will!"
Her eyes widened at the raw violence flowing off him in waves, terrified of what he was capable of for the first time. Beneath her fingers, she felt his fist clenching and unclenching with the need to hit something. There was something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before, that was frightening in its own right.
Seeing the fear in her gaze, he jerked his arm away from her, slowly closing the door as he stepped back into the apartment. "The storyline is to hurt you; the song is all for me. There isn't a doubt in my mind that he's using this to taunt you and I because of all the press lately. He can't get away with this."
"You can't hurt him! He might be a jerk, but he's still my friend!"
She realized her mistake the moment the words were out of her mouth. If her first thought had been Ren's reputation or any trouble he might get into for doing something so reckless, he would have understood and might have calmed down. But she'd yelled at him for Sho's safety and that was a button that never failed to set the actor off.
"Your friend?" he shouted, taking hard steps towards her that made her jump away. "This is the guy that used you, took you away from your childhood home to be a maid! He's harassed you, kissed you, and now he's making fun of you publicly! But, no, you're just going to let him!" Snarling, he backed her into the living room until she hit the back of the couch. "He's trying to hurt you! But you don't care; he's still in your heart after all." Jealous ate at him and he threw up his arms.
Only to notice how she flinched away from him.
A thought suddenly occurred to him. Whenever he got angry, she would flinch away, careful to keep her face turned. He remembered when she'd had the cut on her face during Dark Moon, how Sho had shown up with ointment to make sure it didn't scar.
All the pieces fit together and a new kind of rage filled him.
Hands going to her shoulders, he forced her to look at him as he growled, "He's hit you, hasn't he? He was why you had that cut on your face last year! And you're still protecting him?"
"Ren, I can't just forget my childhood! He was my best friend and I thought we loved each other! Why else would he have invited me to come with to Tokyo?" Now she was angry. Couldn't Ren understand that it was impossible for her to forget that Sho was the reason she was where she was? She was finally with someone who actually loved her back and she never would have met him if it weren't for Sho!
His jaw clenched and he took a deep breath before his arms dropped to his sides. "So, let me get this straight. I'm not allowed to hurt him, even though since you came to Tokyo he's done nothing but hurt you?"
"Ren, he can do whatever he wants. At the end of the day, I'm here. With you. I can't help but want to protect that!" Angry tears formed in her eyes as she brushed past him. She paused where the kitchen and living room were separated, putting her hand on the wall as she looked back at him. "I won't let the two of you hurt each other. He's the past that I can't run away from. You're the future I want to run to." Turning away, she mumbled, "The food is probably cold at this point. I'll heat it up before we eat."
She left him standing there, anger still eating at him. Lory was definitely going to hear about this.
A dark knight versus a spoiled prince.
That night, after Kyoko was asleep—in the guestroom; they hadn't spoken since the living room—Ren called the President. He had only calmed down slightly, enough to keep the violence at bay as he consulted with the only man he knew that could set up what he was looking for.
"Ren, do you know what time it is? I know you don't have anything to do until the interview tomorrow, but I have an agency to run!" Lory cried, though he had obviously still been awake before Ren had called.
Rolling his eyes, the younger man demanded, "Do you know anything about Fuwa's PV? The one that Kyoko is supposed to be a part of?" As he spoke, he placed the CD into the drive of his laptop, downloading the song to send to the President.
"No, I haven't, but that particular producer and I don't see eye to eye and therefore don't speak. Why?"
"Sho's making the video about his and Kyoko's situation when they first came to Tokyo. I'll send you an email with the song attached, but it's obviously directed at me. The PV is his little jab at Kyoko. She called me practically crying after the meeting because she was so upset." He clicked through the computer, quickly sending the song off to the President.
A short pause. "He's calling you out, I suppose? Be careful, Kuon; if you take the bait, it could ruin you."
"I don't care. This is Kyoko we're talking about."
"What did Mogami-kun say about all of this? Has she signed any contracts saying that she will work on this PV?"
Ren shook his head as he said, "No. But she's worried about upsetting her fans by pulling out now. I don't think saying that it will interfere with her other projects will change her mind on this." Hearing Kyoko shifting in bed, he added, "I sent you the song. Listen to it, then call me back."
"All right. Don't do anything stupid until I call you back."
The two hung up and Ren sat back on the couch, wondering what could have possibly possessed Sho to actually do something as idiotic as pick a fight. He could understand why Sho was coming after him, but Kyoko was an innocent bystander. Sho had been the one to throw her away; now he wanted her back. Did he honestly expect her to return?
And where was the protective instinct that had made Sho save her from that Vie Ghoul clown? Hadn't he been so furious that he'd actually beaten up the other man? Where had that friend of hers gone?
Doesn't matter. She just needs to be protected from him now.
A few minutes later, his phone vibrated in his hand. "Hello?" he answered, not bothering to look at the caller ID.
"This is not something we will allow Mogami-kun to be involved in. That fact that Akatoki has given one of their talents so much free run that he is allowed to possibly hurt two actors from another agency's reputations is unforgivable." Just as Ren was about to ask what the plan was, the President gave a heavy sigh full of defeat. "But we can't out the agency. Already there are people snooping around Mogami-kun's real identity and if they unearth the fact that she's a minor and she's working for us without parental consent, we could be in for a lawsuit the size of which we might not be able to recover." There was another pause before Lory's voice continued, deeper this time. "My hands are tied. Unless there is something that will keep Mogami-kun from being able to be a part of production for longer than a month, I have no power over the situation."
"So you're saying that we have to let her do this."
"When is she supposed to shoot the PV?"
Ren wondered if she had told him the date and he'd forgotten it, but sighed. "I'm not sure. Probably in the next few days; there's a two day shooting period planned, I know, but other than that I don't know."
"Then it must be after the interview, yes?" The President laughed. "And don't boyfriends like to visit their girlfriends at work?"
Suddenly, what Lory was getting at made Ren smile. Of course. After the interview, no one would think anything of it if he showed up at her shoot. Or spent the whole day there. And Akatoki couldn't keep him out of filming unless he caused trouble; they knew they owed LME big for all the times they'd kept their problems with Akatoki talents from the papers.
Oh, yes, Sho might have thought that he was getting the upper hand. But he wasn't going to be given the chance.
Oofta. I hope you all enjoyed this! There are only two more chapters before the end of Comfort. Please continue reading and reviewing!
Also, CuddleMeBearpointed out that in the first chapter, Kyoko was 18 and Ren was 22. I will keep the ages at the original and I have changed them in here! Thank you so much CuddleMeBear! (:
