A/N: Hey, took a little longer because I felt compelled to write a "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney" one shot. Thank you sooooooooooo much for all the wonderful, kind, warm reviews! They are my fuel! I did things a little differently this time, expressing their acting out of drama scenes in script excerpts.

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Kyoko slipped in and out of sleep that night. Each time she closed her eyes she saw Ren's face. For what seemed the thousandth time, she thought back to their first meeting all the way to the present.

"It's still so hard to take in," she mumbled before drifting back into half-sleep.

Before Kyoko knew it, morning had come and she was back at the Koishikawa-Korakuen Gardens. She absently watched the effects crew from the pavilion as they set up the rain machines. Suddenly, the director's voice cut into her daze.

"Ok, people, this is the final scene! Let's do this thing! PLACES! . . . CUE THE RAIN!"

Kyoko sucked in a sharp breath and felt her heart pound as she saw Ren arrive at his mark, just off camera.

"Aaaaand . . ."

Kyoko shut her eyes .

"ACTION!"

Yoshiki opened them.

Ren strode towards the pavilion. Kyoko, visibly calm, observed how the floodgates of special effects weighed on his hair and soaked through his shirt.

B.J.: You came.

Yoshiki: I'm not the standing up type.

B.J.: (Smiling) Yes. I know.

(Yoshiki begins to cry).

Yoshiki: I'm so sorry, B.J. I have to . . .

(B.J. crosses the pavilion to Yoshiki)

B.J.: It's okay.

(Yoshiki holds B.J.'s hands and kisses him).

Kyoko wavered a bit. The heat of Ren's anxious gaze was making her feel light-headed. She could see it was taking all that he was to stick to the script and not gather her in his arms right now. Kyoko shakily got on the tips of her toes and followed the script. Ren mouth slanted on hers, deepening the kiss. She found herself enjoying it quite a lot, when she suddenly remembered she had a job to do.

(While still kissing, Yoshiki slaps handcuffs on B.J.) .

SFX: The click of handcuffs.

(They part).

"Now you hear the sound of policemen approaching," the director shouted.

Ren snapped his gaze to his right, the direction the policemen were supposed to be coming from.

B.J.: This heart is yours now . . . and always will be.

The ten extras playing police officers grabbed Ren and dragged him away.

Yoshiki: You had mine from the start . . .

(Fade to black)

"CUT! PRINT! It's a wrap, people!"

The cast and crew erupted into cheers and bows all around. Kyoko practically bounced over to the director.

"Thank you so much for taking care of me!" She cried, bowing many times.

"No, no. Thank you, Kyoko-chan. You really lived up to the laud of President Takrada. Your performance exceeded my expectations entirely!"

Kyoko blushed, feeling embarrassed under such overwhelming praise. The director shifted his gaze beyond Kyoko.

"And you, Ren . . . you were brilliant! Your versatility is astounding!"

Kyoko had felt his presence behind her before the director had even said his name.

"And by the way, the crew and I both agreed that those were some of the best love scenes we've ever filmed. The sincerity of both of your performances . . . Seriously, I almost believed you two had a real thing going on . . ."

"Thank you, director," came Ren's deep voice so close to her. She felt her face grow hotter.

"Now, just between us . . . are you two really. . . ?"

"No," came Ren's immediate reply. Then he slapped on a sparkly smile and chuckled. "We're just that good."

The director laughed. "Alright. But, say, Ren-kun, you had better get yourself dried off before you a catch cold!"

"Ah . . . Yes."

Instead of Ren, it was Kyoko that was shivering. She could hear by the overly polite tone of his voice and inflection that he was using his fake smile. The director moved on to talk to the rest of the cast and crew. Kyoko's back felt cold. Ren had left. She turned around to see him already halfway to his trailer.

Kyoko grabbed one of the towels that had been set out and walked after him. He had already stepped in the trailer when Kyoko reached it.

"Tsuruga-sempai?"

Sempai.

He really hated that word.

Kyoko entered, closing the door behind her. Ren was sitting on the couch, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. His head was bowed causing his wet hair to drip on his already soaked jeans. Kyoko timidly moved over to the couch in baby steps; inching forward until she was standing in front of him.

Then, without a word, she began to dry his hair with the towel. She heard Ren release a long breath and saw his shoulders relax. Kyoko was filled with a rush of tenderness.

Corn.

Tsuruga Ren.

Hizuri Kuon.

Warm, intelligent, caring and ridiculously handsome. Though not without fault, it made him all the more endearing, (dare she say, cute?). This man who had always looked out for her when she was a child, found her again and continued to look after her, take care of her . . . love her . . .

Kyoko still had trouble getting over that fact as well. That such a man, whom she had held in awe, from "Fairy Prince Corn" to "Tsuruga Ren", would be in love with her of all women!

Did she love him? Could she love him?

Kyoko never really lost the capacity to love. She had just been afraid. Afraid to reach out to anyone, to fall in love for fear her heart would be thrown away again.

Had Kyoko lost the capacity to love? No. She did love. She finally realized with startling clarity that her heart was all Ren's and had been for some time, she just had been too scared to acknowledge it.

"Ren . . . 'this heart is yours now and always will be,'" Kyoko said quietly.

Ren's body was still for a moment then he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him.

"'You had mine from the start,'" Ren murmured against her stomach. Kyoko bent down and cradled her dear friend's head in her arms. Tears of happiness began to trickle down her face.

Ren leaned back and eased Kyoko into his lap. He then graced her lips with a sensuous kiss. When they parted for air, Kyoko gazed upon Ren, her heart warming with joy at the sight of the warm, familiar smile that had always been for her only.