Well, here's the third chapter. I was asked by quite a few people why each of the chapters are so long and that's because of the length of the first one. I like when the chapters are closer to being even, that way my readers know what to expect.
NOTE: I made a mistake last chapter that had a few reviewers confused. At first, I said that the interview was in the next week, then I changed it to the next day. I always intended for it to be the next day; I'm sorry for any confusion.

Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat!

Breaking

The interview is upon them and they aren't speaking.

It had to be one of the longest times they hadn't spoken since Ren had learned that she was the Kyoko-chan from his past. It had been far too long since the last time they said a word to each other and he was starting to think he was suffering from withdrawal. She hadn't so much as smiled at him, not even as they'd eaten breakfast that morning. Could he really go much longer—now that he was so used to the occurrence—without any happy Kyoko?

Besides, now they had the interview to worry about. It was in just a few hours and he didn't know what to expect from her. Was she going to stick to what they'd decided to say or would she announce that they weren't together, that things were taken out of context—breaking up with him in the process?

He knew that he had overreacted—slightly—but he couldn't get past the fact that she hadn't had a thought in her mind about him; she was too busy worrying about Fuwa's well-being. He couldn't even begin to describe the pain that it had brought him to know that Fuwa still had such a hold over her. How was he supposed to deal with the fact that the woman he loved was caught up in another man?

Running a hand through his hair as he sat loosely on the couch, he reminded himself that it really wasn't the case. It wasn't so much that she was still in love with the singer that had discarded her; she hated him for what he'd done to her. But he could see where it would be hard to completely give up on a life-long friendship. Still, could Ren convince her to forgive him, when she saw the part of him that he never wanted her to see?

He heard the extra bedroom's door open and close softly and his head immediately went up. His eyes meeting hers, he was taken aback by the look in hers. Though there was a little regret within them, there was an overriding feeling of being right hovering there. She truly didn't see anything wrong with her reasoning, nor did she really seem to care terribly much that he was obviously not doing too well after the fight.

And that only fueled the anger within him. There he was, trying to see her side of the story, and she refused to do the same for him. A part of him recalled Kuu and Julie's fights, where his father would try to make it up to her, see her side, but his mother would just "hmph" at his attempts.

Eyes narrowing, he noted that she jumped a little, but purposely held herself more rigid, moving gracefully into the kitchen. Standing up, Ren followed after, practically snarling when the door was closed on his face.

He slammed the door open and stomped towards her, noting that she was indeed afraid of him. Good. She should be.

"Good morning, Mogami-san," he hissed, grabbing the coffee pot—which he'd set to brew right when he woke up—to pour himself a cup. It didn't surprise him that she flinched at his use of the honorific. But could she expect anything different? She wanted to treat him like some stranger, he would do the same.

Once he got his coffee and took a sip of the—disgustingly—thick liquid, he moved to go right back into the living room, only to be stopped by a little chestnut-haired hellion with no sense of self-preservation.

Amber eyes simply glared up at him, arms crossed over her chest in a dangerous pose. She was furious, but didn't know what to say. Good, then he didn't have to listen and be swayed. Because she could do that to him. Quite easily, in fact.

He started to move around her but she followed after, keeping her gaze careful on his face. "I need to go get ready for my day. Unfortunately, I have an interview to get to. Please excuse me, Mogami-san." He purposely kept his voice low and stern, even though his control was slipping. Honestly, he just wanted to apologize and not care who was right or wrong.

But he couldn't keep letting her be distracted by Fuwa. He had to break her of it.

Side-stepping quickly, he made his way around her and back into the living room, ready to plop down on the couch despite what he'd told her.

"Damnit, Ren! Don't be a jerk!"

He paused at her words, turning a look over his shoulder to see her fuming just inside the hall. Giving her a raised eyebrow as well as a frown, he said, "I'm sorry, Mogami-san. Did I hurt your feelings?" He knew that it was going to push her buttons full force that he compared his petty taunts to her Fuwa statement the night before, but he didn't care. He was going to infuriate her as much as she did him. "I can tell you I am very sorry."

Grinding her teeth, Kyoko demanded, "What is all this?" Tears were forming in her eyes, but she was obviously too angry to let them fall. "Because I don't want you to go hurt someone I was close to my entire life—"

"How about you try to see it from my point of view, Kyoko? Your first thought isn't about your boyfriend or what would happen to him if he touched a hair on that brat's head. No, it's all about the guy that you used to be in love with who dumped you like rotten potatoes, hit you—"

"You don't even try to see where—" she said, ignoring him.

"—I'm coming from!" he ended furiously.

Kyoko stormed straight up to him, stabbing her finger in his chest violently. "I won't ever let anyone else be the center of my life; not you, not anybody! My life is mine! I won't ask myself, 'I wonder how Ren would feel about this? I hope he isn't upset,' again. I've tried that before and it left me empty. Now I finally have something to call my own and I'm going to be proud of it!"

He grabbed her hand, effectively stopping her poking. "I'm not asking you to give up anything! I'm just asking you to think about things from my point of view. What if some woman from my past came and caused problems, hurt me? How would you feel?" He tugged the wrist up so she stumbled closer, his eyes flashing wildly. "And then, even worse, I protect her. Instead of stopping you for you, I stop you to protect her. How would you feel, Kyoko?"

"Let go of me!" she hissed, her free hand on his chest, shoving futilely to regain her trapped appendage. "I don't want you to touch me!"

Gaze flaring at the words, Ren's head—filled with thoughts of punishment and fury—ducked, taking her lips despite her arguments.

The kiss was as violent as they came. Though both were reacting, they also wanted nothing more than to win the war that was waging between them. The taste of disapproval was in both their mouths, but they couldn't help the need to press closer to each other.

As he pushed her heavily into the wall, her fingers tangled in his hair, threatening to pull it out with her ferocity. His hands lifted her, putting her head just a hair higher than his as he fought to hold back the urge to just rip her clothes off. He was pissed at her—fuming, really—and all he wanted to do was show her in the worst possible way. Did she have any idea what she did to him?

When she hissed his name as his lips left hers, he knew she was lost. Hell yes she was still angry, but that didn't mean his little kohai didn't want him back. Unable to resist any longer, Ren locked an arm around Kyoko's waist, easily keeping her up high as he maneuvered the room to find the couch. Though he'd always made love to her in the bed—or shower—before, he wasn't about to make a special trip across the apartment to do so. No, he wanted her wriggling beneath him right then and there, damnit, and he was going to have it!

As their bodies sank to the couch, the battle didn't lessen in the least. Her hands stayed clenched in his hair as his lips found her most sensitive areas. They moved quickly, restlessly from her jaw to her neck, down that slope to her collarbone. Her shirt was quickly dealt with and he set to the breasts just the right size for his hand. Moaning his name, she only spurred him on, even as he fought to show her torture that she might never be able to stand.

His lips trailed down over her flat stomach, past her navel. He made quick work of her pajama bottoms, practically throwing them across the room in his haste. He didn't even bother with her panties, just pulled them aside and set in on her.

Her back arched and she cried out as her hands once again found their way into his hair. Did she really think pushing him closer was going to make him give her the quick release she was dying for? No, he was well past the point of easy forgiveness, moving quickly into dangerous territory. He would keep her on that edge until she could stand it no longer.

Then he would drive her back all over again.

Suddenly, she was yanking at his arms tugging him up to meet her mouth as she desperately pulled his shirt over his head. Shrugging out of the material, he only broke away from her as far as he had to, lips crashing to hers all over again. All of his senses were focused on her, his mind only able to think of her. Her touch, her scent, the feeling of her. Even her sounds were driving him mad as he undid the fly of his jeans.

Letting his pants go down only as far as it took for him to release himself, he pulled her hips towards him, entering her with a certain amount of ferocity. She cried out, but that didn't halt his attack. He thrust powerfully within her, drawing groans and moans from each of them.

But it wasn't enough for him. Growling, he pulled away from her, wrapping his arm around her waist to flip her to her knees. Never before had he had her this way, without being able to watch her face as he made love to her. Somewhere, he admitted to himself that he wasn't making love to her this time; it was a feeling that he had never felt with her before. But his anger was still bubbling beneath the surface, threatening to choke him. He didn't know why, but he was sure that this would fix everything between them, show her how he felt.

Of course, as he entered her from behind, he also knew that it wasn't possible.

Time for an interview to shock the country.

Kyoko hadn't said anything to Ren since they'd collapsed on the couch, breathing heavily. She'd whispered an apology to him that she didn't think he'd heard, tears filling her eyes. As they'd laid there, sweating and trying to regain themselves, she knew that she was hoping for too much that he would try to see things her way.

But she also knew that she couldn't expect him to. Just like he couldn't expect her to. She should have spoken with him about it instead of only feeding his—and her—fury and pain by shouting at him. Now, however, she felt like she had pushed him away; being with him hadn't been as close of an experience as before. Was he going to end it all in front of the entire country? They could work through it, couldn't they?

"Kyoko-chan?" a stage hand said, peeking her head in the door. Her long black hair was left loose and curly, bright blue eyes meeting Kyoko's nervously. There was an ear piece in her ear that no doubt connected her to everything that was going on. She was beautiful in a more traditional Japanese way, a way that Kyoko had longed for when she was younger, hoping to catch Sho's eye.

This is no time to think about that blonde idiot, she berated herself.

"Um, you're on in just a few minutes, Kyoko-chan. Would you mind accompanying me to the stage?"

Nodding with a fake smile, the actress stood gracefully, hands folded in front of her. "Thank you," she said quietly, bowing. "Please take care of me."

The stage-hand flushed—beautifully, of course—and held the door open for Kyoko to walk out. The actress was suddenly aware that her short, bright hair-style made her feel childish in comparison to the tall woman she followed. Was that the type of woman that Ren would move on to once he broke up with her? On national television, no less.

No, breathe, Kyoko, she thought. Your life shouldn't revolve around one man. Never again, remember? You have come too far to allow this to happen.

"And now, without further ado, we'd like to introduce our interviewees for the night! First, we have a young woman that has petrified us with her terrifying performance as Mio from 'Dark Moon', Kyoko-chan!"

Kyoko made her way onto the stage, waving and smiling like her whole world wasn't threatening to fall apart. She walked up to Hikaru, giving him a firm handshake, before sliding into her seat on the couch. It was even more nerve-wracking to be a guest on the show rather than a giant chicken. She controlled her twitching hands with the power of Natsu, letting the character seep into her consciousness.

As the applause died down around her, she took a deep breath, knowing that her boyfriend—probably-soon-to-be-ex—was the next to be announced. Natsu reminded her that there was absolutely no way she would allow her to make a fool of herself—or Natsu. This was all going to be smooth and easy.

Hikaru smiled at her, saying, "You look beautiful as usual, Kyoko-chan," though his voice couldn't be heard in his microphone. At least Kyoko didn't have to worry about being left alone. She had friends just like Hikaru that would stay beside her. Kanae would probably lead an anti-Ren campaign once he broke up with her best friend.

"Next up is the man on every woman's mind. Voted Japan's Sexiest Man, I introduce to you Tsuruga Ren!"

The sound that filled the room was ear-shattering. Girls were crying out as he walked across the stage, calling to him with little thought towards decency. Honestly, Kyoko was just glad that there was security lining the stage, otherwise there might have been a rather large mob storming the platform to get to him.

"Thank you all," Ren said to the audience, making her nearly slap herself. Of course he wouldn't forget what she had. "I'm very glad to be here, Ishibashi-san." He shook Hikaru's hand as the much shorter man nearly jumped out of his skin at being addressed by the giant.

Ren sat down next to her, just close enough to keep everyone guessing about their relationship. She felt like it was miles as he gave her a gentleman's smile.

Hikaru, who couldn't sense their tension, leaned forward in his own seat, crossing his legs. "All right, so I'm not even gonna beat around the bush here. Everyone is dying to know about the truth of your relationship: is Tsuruga Ren dating Kyoko-chan?"

Both froze for a moment, though their terror went unnoticed. The moment Kyoko felt Ren become rigid beside her, Natsu took complete control, her hand going to Ren's knee. She wasn't going to let him give up on her. No, she was going to fight as she never had for a man. That was her split second decision as Natsu led her on.

Beneath her hand, Ren relaxed as his own hand covered hers. He smiled—a real smile—to match her own as he glanced at her. "Kyoko and I are indeed dating."

The room went wild with fans and die-hards, screaming with either happiness or disappointment. Either way, it didn't keep Hikaru from speaking. "That was...really blunt of you, Tsuruga-san. I must say, I thought you would jerk us around a little bit more." He laughed, as did the audience members that weren't sulking. He shifted slightly to look at Kyoko. "So what's it like being the girlfriend of one of Japan's most eligible bachelors, Kyoko-chan? All of Japan is probably wondering!"

Chuckling, Kyoko leaned forward, though her gaze returned to Ren on its own. "I haven't been in a real relationship before, but I suppose it's just a normal thing." She looked out to the rapt audience then to Hikaru. "I mean, we argue and rail at each other, but that doesn't mean we don't love each other. It's just that we really need to work on our communication skills."

Ren squeezed her hand and, without hesitation, leaned forward to kiss her cheek. She didn't know if that meant that she was forgiven or what, but she was glad to wash away the last remnants of distance between them.

"How did the two of you get together?" Hikaru asked, completely devoted to the story. "We all know you were together on set for 'Dark Moon', but was there some great romantic gesture that one of you gave to the other?"

Ren did something so out of character then that Kyoko didn't even give a thought to a semi-truthful answer. He laughed, a loud and happy sound as he entangled their fingers to lift to his lips. "Actually, it wasn't much like that at all. At first, I believe we hated each other. Then, we slowly became closer until she started cooking me dinners and lunches. Finally, my manager—Yashiro Yukihito—called her one day, saying that he couldn't get a hold of me. She came over to my apartment and cleaned it top to bottom." Glancing over at her, he smiled reassuringly, letting her know that he had it under control. "I came home from a walk in the park to find the rooms squeaky clean and a little chestnut-haired woman passed out on my couch. That was when I finally decided to make it official."

The entire room 'aw-ed' as Natsu receded within Kyoko's subconscious, leaving her blushing wildly as he kissed the top of her head.

Hikaru glanced between the two of them, a tinge of sadness in his eyes. "Well, Kyoko-chan, when did you start liking Tsuruga-san?"

Clearing her throat, she grinned shyly. "I'd have to say just after the filming of 'Dark Moon', at the post-filming party. He looked like a prince that night. Of course, I never thought he could possibly feel the same as I did, so I kept it to myself. When he asked me on a date, I was completely blindsided. But I'm glad he did." Glancing out of the corner of her eye at her sempai, she didn't miss the sudden flash beneath his gaze.

As Hikaru asked them more and more questions, finally getting onto a more professional topic, Kyoko realized that they could now go on real dates...without having to worry about someone seeing them. She could hold his hand as they walked down the sidewalk or share an umbrella with him if they got caught in the rain. He wouldn't have to wear his silly hat and sunglasses everywhere they went; they could just be a couple, without all the worries.

Excitement that she could barely hold back spread throughout her, making her twitchy. Her hand would clench on Ren's every so often as she thought of more and more things that they could finally do without worry.

"Well, folks," Hikaru finally said, turning towards the camera, "I'm sorry to say that that's all the time we have left for our sleuthing day. We will be back on next week with Bo returning from his hiatus and Takahashi Rumiko will be here talking about her newest manga series Rinne!" Once his words echoed through his microphone, the lights dimmed, allowing for Ren and Kyoko to cross off stage undetected.

The moment they were behind the curtain, Kyoko spun on the dark-haired man, saying in an innocent tone, "Do you know what this means, Ren? We can finally—"

He cut her off, quickly and efficiently, with his mouth descending on hers, his fingers tilting her chin up. It was a small, chaste kiss, but enough to catch her offguard. Smiling, he murmured, "I can finally do that."

Blushing furiously, she stepped away from him. "No! Well, I suppose you can, but we can go on a real date! A really real date where we go to a fancy restaurant and get all dressed up and have dinner like normal people and not have to worry about the paparazzi seeing us and..."

"And I can kiss you in public." He placed another quick kiss on her lips, chuckling when her face grew even redder. Throwing his arm around her shoulders to tuck her closer to him, he added, "But we'll do things your way. I know a great place that I think you'll like. We can go on Saturday, if you'd like." It would only work better into his plan.

She didn't even think about it. Nodding without hesitation, she cried, "That would be wonderful! But should I spend money on a new dress? Or will one of my old ones work? If it's really fancy, I could wear the dress from the post-shooting party for Dark Moon! It's still in great condition—"

"No!" he cut in, realizing his voice was just a little too stern when several stagehands glanced over at them. "I mean, I can get you a new one. One that suits the restaurant better. We can go shopping tomorrow night, if you'd like."

"Okay," she answered with a smile, wrapping her arm around his waist as they moved towards the dressing rooms. "But you can't expect me to let you act like Cain!" Her warning was given extra strength with her patented scowl. "One dress and I have to approve of the price!" She turned away before he could use his puppy eyes on her, knowing that they would do her in whether she was herself or Setsu.

They stayed that way for the rest of the day, protected in their Sho-free bubble. With a bottle of wine and a couple of movies—that neither had seen or acted in—they had a date night that put romantic comedies to shame.

Unfortunately, they couldn't live in that bubble forever.

The time has come for her to either face her past or be broken by it.

Sucking in a deep breath, Kyoko looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe that she was actually going through with it, actually going to relive the humiliation of her move to Tokyo. Dressed in a maid's costume, she patted her wig—long, thick black hair that was cut simply, if a bit unfashionably. She felt completely exposed, which was no doubt the costume designer's and Sho's intentions.

But she couldn't let it get to her. If she let Sho continue to hurt her, her relationship with Ren might be hurt more in the process. Though they'd made it through their first real fight without much backlash, there was always the chance that it could end them the next time. All she had to do was keep herself calm, cool, and collected for the next two days, then Sho could be out of her life for good.

Kyoko had often wondered if someday she could forgive Sho, let go of that ball of hatred that might have decreased in size over the years, but was far from gone. Now, she didn't know if she could ever forget the pain he was intentionally putting her through. But she also couldn't muster up anymore hatred for him; it was a stupid fix to an idiotic problem. Two wrongs don't make a right, she reminded herself as she moved towards the door to her dressing room.

They were waiting for her, she realized. There was a certain tension in the air that she couldn't place, as if everyone were holding their breath to see what would happen next. She was sure that some of them were just wowed that she was the woman that Tsuruga Ren was dating, but the look of pity in Shoko's eyes told her that others knew exactly what was going on. And they could do nothing to help her.

Standing straight and walking tall, Kyoko moved towards the director—who stood next to Sho—bowing gracefully. "Thank you for making me a part of your project, Director-sama. I will do my best to act my part." Turning her attention to the blonde musician, she added, "Fuwa-san, it is good to work with you again. I hope your fans like this PV as much as the last one I participated in."

Something like annoyance—but darker—flashed in Sho's gaze before he smirked down at her condescendingly. "Yeah, let's see if you can get it right on the first take this time. Of course, you're more used to this kind of thing, right? Doing blindly whatever a guy says, hoping that he'll love you."

The tension in the room grew infinitely more strangling. She could hear the whispers starting to spread around, something he had known would happen the moment he said such a charged statement aimed at her.

It was then that she saw him clearly, probably for the first time in her life. There was no shield of blind adoration, love, hate, or even fury to muddle up her vision of him. He wasn't a prince sent to save her from the pain her mother had inflicted on her, nor was he her most formidable foe, hated as one would a demon.

He was a spoiled child, expecting everything to fall into place around him without any effort. He thought to destroy her, to ruin the small amount of pride in herself—in her talent—and break her down for good. He didn't like that the toy he'd happily thrown away could be snatched up by another, loved by someone else. He saw her as a possession, something she had promised herself she would never become.

It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She no longer feared what he could or would do to her; he had no power over her. His pettiness didn't inspire disgust, but instead pity. He would never be able to grow up if he was allowed to continue on his chosen path.

Still, before she could smile and laugh—genuinely, not mockingly—at his words, a familiar voice rang out, calling the attention of everyone surrounding them.

"Fuwa-kun, how good to see you again," Ren said, striding easily towards the musician. "I hope you don't mind; I finished up with my work for the weekend early and I would like to watch Kyoko in action." Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her close, dropping a quick kiss on the top of her head. "I'm here for you," he whispered so only she could hear, inspiring more courage within her.

Smiling up at him, the chestnut-haired woman said, "What a pleasant surprise, Ren. I'm glad you could make it here." She turned her attention back to Sho, who couldn't seem to form a single word on this new development. "Well, Fuwa-san, would you like to begin?" Turning away from both of the men, she strode towards where she was supposed to shoot the first part of the PV, a surprisingly accurate replica of the old apartment she had lived in with Sho.

Back with the musician and actor, the tension was palpable. Everyone in the room hovered around in a circle, staying just outside earshot of the men; no one wanted to break into the intense electricity coming off both. They couldn't decipher which man was more frightening in this instance: Sho, with his tense body language and furious aura, or Ren, whose cool demeanor did nothing nothing to cover the blazing aura surrounding him.

Finally, Sho stood up straighter, fixing his own costume—some of his own street clothes. Brushing past Ren on his way to the set, he murmured quietly, "So, she slept her way to the top, huh?"

The older man's hand caught his arm before he could take more than two steps away. A pleasant smile split Ren's lips, but the intent in his eyes was obvious. In a friendly tone, he said just as quietly, "I suggest you treat her with a little more respect and stop acting like a child that lost a game. Otherwise, I will be the one you answer to." He released the musician, keeping his smile imprinted on his face.

To those close enough to hear any portion of what either man had said, it sounded like nothing more than a couple of acquaintances exchanging pleasantries. No one had been able to see the pressure that Ren had put on Sho's arm, nor had they been able to completely hear the exchange. No one would believe that Tsuruga Ren had threatened Fuwa Sho for something that they didn't know had happened between him and Kyoko.

After a moment of passing their thoughts on each other via male-telekinesis, Sho shrugged away, taking his place on stage, intending to make sure that both of them knew better than to mess with Fuwa Sho.

As Kyoko acted, she kept having to catch herself before she went out of character, since she knew the exact feelings this woman would feel by the end of the video. Her heart clenched, remembering the hate that had filled her veins, the pain that had torn through her like a tsunami. All she could do was hope for the strength to make it through the shoot, wait to break down once she and Ren were home.

The thought of him kept her going. Whenever she was able, she would glance over at where he stood beside the camera, arms folded over his chest. He would catch her eye, smiling comfortingly at her. She knew that he wouldn't let anything happen to her, that he would protect her from anything that could cause her harm, physical or otherwise.

So, somehow, she made it through the first day of shooting with only one NG that could be blamed on her. It was obvious that Sho hadn't believed she could do it, but she didn't really care. For once, this wasn't about using him or getting her revenge on him. It was actually about herself. It actually revolved around her and her feelings.

Crossing the stage to Ren, she went to her tiptoes, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for being here today," she breathed, giving him a small grin. "I don't know if I could have done it otherwise."

He chuckled, bringing her close for a hug. "Yes, you would of. You're a fantastic actress and, whether I was here or not, you would have done a great job. Except for that one NG..."

Slapping him lightly on the arm as her face burst into a flaming flush, she said, "Don't poke fun at me, Ren! I don't point out how many NGs you get!"

"It's hard to point out none."

Ren laughed as Kyoko argued with him on the way to her dressing room, teasing her the whole walk. Throwing up her arms in defeat—which forced her maid's skirt higher, if that was possible—she disappeared within the room, claiming that he was a mean old man. He called after her in a sing-song tone, "Now, you and I both know that isn't true!" He chuckled, imagining her sticking her tongue out at him at that very moment through the door.

"I'm guessing that you think it's okay for you to just walk in here and take the place over because you're Tsuruga Ren, right?"

No matter how many years passed, Ren was never going to have patience for that voice. Kuon bubbled beneath the surface, making him clench his fist to remind himself who and where he was before turning to Sho. "I came here to make sure that you didn't hurt Kyoko with your petty little game." Legs shifting apart and arms folding over his chest, he watched the boy with clear distaste, blocking the door to the dressing room behind him.

Sho sneered, his body language screaming that he was a spoiled brat. A flare came to his eyes before he spoke, watching the actor for a reaction. "I don't really care why you came here. In fact, I shouldn't have picked Kyoko for this project at all; a pretty girl would have been a better choice."

"Then you should have gotten someone else before you demanded she be a part of it. Do you really think I'm going to let you get a rise out of me?" The American phrase slipped easily off his tongue, accompanied by a dark smirk. "I've been through a lot worse than some little boy rivalry, Fuwa." His face suddenly lost all expression and he took a step towards the blonde man. "And I have no intention of letting you get mixed up in Kyoko's life again. The way I see it, you can stop all this spoiled little rich boy stuff and leave her alone, or I can physically remove your presence from her life."

A quick flash of fear went through Sho's eyes before he recovered himself. "Nice try at the intimidation thing. You think I don't know the limits of show business? Tsuruga Ren beating up a guy that's younger than him for no apparent reason? You'd lose everything."

The musician was surprised when Ren gave a full, deep laugh. Leaning close, the brunette murmured in the other man's ear, "Who said it would be Tsuruga Ren that you'd be up against?"

As Sho stood there, shocked, Kyoko opened the door to her dressing room, stepping out with a freshly washed face and her own hair disheveled on her head. "Are you ready to go, Ren? I'm kind of hungry and I know that you only ate some convenience store onigiri today." She glanced up at Sho, giving him a sincere—if somewhat distant—smile as she took Ren's hand. "I'll see you tomorrow, Fuwa-san. Goodbye."

Chuckling as they left the musician, Ren wrapped an arm around Kyoko's waist, ushering her to his waiting sports car. "Oh, come on. It's the first time in months that I've eaten anything other than your home-cooked meals. Can't I have one slip up?" Gently helping her into the car, he leaned down to give her a quick kiss, only to be blocked by her hand over her mouth.

She mumbled something incoherent into her palm when he took his spot in the driver's seat, making him laugh a little more.

"I can't understand anything you're saying when you cover your mouth like that."

"I said," she began, pulling her hand from her lips, "that you can't kiss me until you eat something—"

His lips collided with hers, quickly and discreetly, knocking her a little off-balance, though she was seated. "I feel better," he said, moving to drive away. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he asked, "Do you want to go get that dress now? That way we won't have to hurry through shopping tomorrow after you're shooting is done. Maybe Jelly-san can even do your hair and makeup for dinner if we go now..."

Her eyes immediately widened with glee, a girlish squeal tearing from her lips. "Do you think she would?" she cried, nearly bouncing up and down in her seat. "Then we could look like a real couple! No one would ever believe that someone as plain as me was dating someone as handsome as you—"

Quickly stopping the vehicle—thank God there was a stoplight—he turned to her and said sternly, "Everyone would believe that you and I are together because you are beautiful. And funny. A little childish, maybe, but definitely not in a bad way." He turned to face front once again, a small smile pulling at his lips as her face flushed bright red. "Plus, you're a really good cook. And everyone that meets you thinks you're the nicest person on the planet. You're a great actress—"

"Ren, stop!" she laughed, trying to hide her face while she covered her mouth.

Of course, he didn't.

Now that that's behind them, on to more important things.

"Ren-kun, no peeking! I told you it would only take me five minutes and you've given me two! Even I can't work my magic under such conditions!" Jelly Woods, the Witch of cosmetology, finally shouted, slamming his bedroom door shut on his face. "Go watch some TV! She'll be out when I'm done with her!"

"You can't beat her, you know. Nothing you do is going to stop her from doing exactly as she pleases," Lory said easily from where he stood a few feet behind Ren. "She'll sooner maim someone than let one of her projects leave before she's finished."

Raising an eyebrow at that, Ren replied, "I really couldn't care less. You two were supposed to be here an hour ago to do this. I have these reservations at a certain time for a reason." Please don't let Dad have already started eating. The restaurant's gotta have something left for us, the actor thought as he pushed his hair back.

Moving to the living room, he sat on the couch carelessly, though his tux was easily wrinkled. The restaurant that they were going to was a very prestigious—and very expensive—place that boasted all of Japan's—as well as other countries' stars—top show business tycoons, from actors and actresses to agency presidents and producers. To show up late to his reservation that should have taken him months to get would mean a permanent black mark on his record there. He'd never been tardy for anything in his life as Tsuruga Ren, and he wasn't about to start on such an important night.

"Relax, Ren. You'll make it there on time, I promise. Besides, I'm sure even Kuu came wait a few extra minutes before eating."

Flashing the President a look that clearly stated you-don't-know-him-that-well-do-you, Ren picked up the remote, about to flick on the television.

"I told you if you waited that it would pay off in the end. Aren't you glad you gave me those few extra moments to finish her up?" Jelly said from the hallway, grabbing both men's attentions. Stepping over to the President, she added, "Darling, you aren't going to believe how beautiful she looks in that dress. I barely needed to do anything to change her from simply stunning to breathtaking."

Ren was about to reply when Kyoko stepped into view, his heart stopping at the sight of her. Jelly had put in some hair extensions to lengthen Kyoko's hair enough to pull it all into a messy bun just below her right ear, letting a few curls fall from its precarious hold. The gold of her eyes was accented with light eyeliner and a touch of light green eyeshadow. Her dress was long, trailing slightly on the floor. It was a darker version of the green on her eyes, bringing out the red-orange tint in her hair and pallor of her skin. A slit went up her left leg, stopping at mid-thigh just before it would have become less-than-respectable.

At that moment, he really wished that he hadn't made reservations and that everyone would leave the two of them alone in his apartment. That dress would be even better on the floor beside my bed, he thought before he could stop himself.

Kyoko seemed to catch him in his so-called Emperor of the Night mode because she raised one elegant eyebrow as if to tell him to keep his thoughts to himself. But then she gave him a wide smile, practically floating to his side as if the floor were moving for her. "Are you ready to go, Ren?" she asked. "Or do you need a couple minutes to get ready?"

Lory rolled his eyes as Jelly clung to him, walking without a word to the door. I should have known that they would be this kind of lovey-dovey, he thought. Best to leave them alone for a little while.

As the older man and woman left the apartment, Ren answered Kyoko with a grin, "I was just waiting for you." His hand went to the small of her back and he was completely taken aback when it met flesh. Sneaking a peek at where his hand laid, he couldn't help thundering, "Where the hell is rest of the dress?"

The material, soft and silky, flowed gracefully from her shoulders to dip around her sides, only coming together just above the line of decency. The fragile line of her spine was in plain view, showing off even more of her pale skin. She glanced over her shoulder at him, easily pulling off the haughty look he wasn't sure she was trying to pull off. "Don't you remember me showing this off to you yesterday at the shop? You said it was the best one you'd seen on me."

Shit. Caught in the act. "Well, you didn't show me the back." Of course, he couldn't really stop her from wearing it at this point. "Don't you have a shawl or something to wear over it?"

"I did show you the back and you said it looked great! If I thought this would be such a bad idea, I wouldn't have gotten it. But they said that this was a style that princesses liked..."

Noting her coming tears, he said quickly, "No, it looks beautiful. I just...I never thought I'd see you in something like this." Turning her towards him, he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "It looks stunning. I just needed some time to get used to it."

She gave him those big doe eyes that she had to know did him in. "Are you sure? I could just wear one of my old dresses."

"No, this is perfect." He smiled, knowing that at least Julie would enjoy Kyoko's new style, though he feared Kuu might pop a blood vessel in his forehead. So there would be someone else there that would help him when she got unwanted attention. Glancing at his watch, he quickly added, "But we should get going now. Otherwise we might miss our reservation." We're cutting it pretty close as it is.

Grinning, she nodded her head, easily keeping up with him as he strode with purpose towards the door. He led her down to the parking garage where their limo waited, surprising her with the luxury.

"Why are we taking this?" she asked him in a whisper, hoping that Lory didn't take offense if he overheard. "What happened to your car?"

"This is a special night," he murmured in return, putting his forehead to hers. "I want you to be treated like a princess tonight."

Sebastian was an incredibly adept driver, getting them to the restaurant in half the time Ren had been told it would take. "We are here," the man said confidently from the front seat. "Mr. Tsuruga, Miss Mogami, I hope you have a wonderful night."

Lory practically shooed them out, waving his hands at them dismissively. "Go on, go on. Don't want to miss your reservations. Jelly and I have other things to attend to. Have fun on your little date." The moment they were out of the door—Ren first to help Kyoko step out—Lory slammed the door, Sebastian driving off as quickly as possible.

Almost immediately, they were hit with flashing bulbs of cameras from every direction, though they tried not to take any notice. This was their first public date; everyone wanted to get the scoop, figure out just how far this little love had gone.

But Ren knew that this night would mean quite a bit more. He had asked his parents to fly in for the week; they'd been on a plane before they'd hung up the phone. He'd felt he had to tell them what he had decided the moment he'd come to his much bigger decision.

Hizuri Kuon was dead. Because of Kyoko, he was no longer someone that Ren could be. He didn't want to ruin how she saw Corn, her fairy prince, by telling her that he was really nothing more than a delinquent. So, he'd asked his parents to keep his status as their son a secret. Since Kyoko thought of them as parents, they would always be involved in their lives, but he could never go back to the life that Kuon had created. He was now Tsuruga Ren.

And he hoped Kyoko agreed to be Tsuruga Kyoko.

Duhn, duh, duh!
So, I decided that I don't feel that Ren (in this story) would tell Kyoko about being Kuon. To him, Hizuri Kuon is nothing more than a distant memory that he wished he could forget. Before you ask, in this story Kyoko never finds out about his previous life. Sorry if you don't like it, but I prefer it this way.