Thoughts

English

"Dialogue,"

-5 hours later-

Kyoko stood in front of Ren's door, her fist raised to knock and a grocery bag in her other hand. However, actually going through with the action proved to be more difficult than she had thought. What if I misheard? What if he changed his mind? Kyoko tightened her grip on the bag. No. I have to go through with this. I have to know. With her resolve strengthened once again, she knocked three times on the door. And waited. She was greeted only by silence. Is...is he not here yet? Well, that was a lot of stress for nothing. She wondered, touching her phone in her pocket, if she should call him. No, if he isn't here now, he's either working or driving. She sighed and dropped her hand. Taking her time, Kyoko reached for the object that had been a huge weight in her front pocket since she received it.

Kyoko blew out a nervous breath, and inserted the key into the lock. It clicked faintly as it disengaged, and she pushed open the door. As she stepped in, Kyoko flicked on the lights and exchanged her shoes for house slippers and headed straight for the kitchen. The size of this place never ceases to amaze me, she thought. Oh well, better get started. Kyoko placed the bag of groceries on the counter with a soft thump and rolled up her sleeves.

-1 hour later-

Ren sighed. Despite successfully going through the rest of the day with no NG's on his part, he was much later than he knew Kyoko would be. If she comes, he thought grimly. His co-star for the photo shoot had seemed more enamored with him than her job, thus bringing about his tardiness. He had already dropped off Yashiro, and was seriously considering breaking speed laws just to see if Kyoko was at his apartment. He would've called her, but Ren guessed that she wouldn't like it if he talked and drove at the same time.

After what seemed like an eternity, he arrived at the complex. He pushed the elevator call button, fidgeting as he waited. When it finally, finally got to his level, he rushed into the elevator and punched in the floor number. Why do these go so slow? He wondered, and mentally willed it to gain speed.

Once on the correct floor, Ren practically ran down the doors until stopping at his. There was the smell of something delicious in the air, the mouthwatering aroma wafting into the hallway. He stopped and took a deep breath to calm himself. I could get used to coming home to this, he thought, then dispelled it with a shake of his head. Ren drew in another breath, turned the doorknob and stepped into his apartment.

Kyoko stepped back to admire the product of her hard work. Hopefully he'll be hungry. Kyoko had already worked up an appetite, the scent of the huge bowl of Italian pasta made her stomach rumble. Tonight, she had fixed a classic and simple Italian dinner: pasta, garlic bread, and small, fresh olives.

She wiped her brow with her sleeve. Kyoko blinked, then began to get out dishes and silverware. She set glasses, forks, spoons, and napkins on the counter, and reached for the plates. However, because of the height difference between Ren and Kyoko, they were about six inches out of her grasp. Kyoko stood on her tiptoes and stretched, one hand flat on the counter to steady herself, but it was still too far. All of a sudden, she felt strong hands lift her into the air, lending her the height she needed to grab the plates.

"Ah!" She panicked, flailing, and looked down at the face of the person holding her. "Tsuruga-san! Put me down!" Kyoko flushed, her heart throbbing from the shock and then the sudden sight of him.

Ren smiled playfully up at her. "Who's Tsuruga-san? I don't see a Tsuruga-san."

Kyoko's blush deepened. "R-Ren! Please put me down."

"Hello to you too, Kyoko. You should grab the plates while you're up there," Ren teased, his tone mischievous.

Kyoko bit her lip. Is it even possible to blush more? She was practically dying of embarrassment. Nonetheless, she reached for the plates again and took two. "T-there. Now will you put me down? Please?" Kyoko pleaded.

Ren chuckled. "Alright, alright." He gently set her on the floor, careful to make sure she didn't lose her balance. "What have you made? It smells so delicious."

Kyoko, readily accepting the subject change, replied proudly, "A classic Italian meal, complete with pasta, garlic bread, and olives. I...um...I hope you like Italian food," she finished shyly.

"It's been a very long time since I've had any of this. Thank you so much for preparing this, Kyoko. Even though you didn't have to, you did, and your cooking is always delicious." Ren smiled a radiant, genuine smile, the kind that spoke volumes more than any words could even dream of.

Kyoko's face ignited, the heat back in full force. Ren loved how easy it was to put that beautiful cherry color on her cheeks. "Thank you, but you should wait until you've had some to comment on it," Kyoko said timidly, "Speaking of which, we should eat it before it gets cold!"

Ren murmured his agreement, and the two filled their plates and headed to the living room. They sat down to dig in, but before either of them did, Ren cleared his throat. "Um. Kyoko. The whole reason we're together tonight. Do you want to talk about it now or after dinner?" He stared at her food, his nerves dropping his vision from her gorgeous eyes.

"If it's ok, um, I think we should wait until after dinner. Okami-san says that everything is better on a full stomach." Kyoko responded, equally nervous, her blush still strong.

The tension in Ren's shoulders dropped, if only a little. They could put it off for at least another thirty minutes, and just enjoy each other's company. Ren wasn't sure if she'd agree to something like this again, and he knew damn well he wasn't going to waste the opportunity.

"I was right." Ren spoke when they were both finished.

"About what?"

"The food. It was divine."

Kyoko beamed. "I'm glad you liked it, this is my first attempt at making it."

Ren smiled softly at her. "Anything you cook is and always will be wonderful. That's just how you do things."

She looked at him, startled. "Thank you, Ren."

He was taken aback by her warm expression, and his heart flip-flopped in his chest. Do I dare hope? Well...she's here now, isn't she? I suppose I can hope if only a little.

A momentary silence fell, each lost in their own thoughts.

When Kyoko looked up, she saw Ren gazing at her intently, a serious look on his face. "Kyoko," he began, "I think you heard all of what I said earlier…" He paused for a moment, hesitant to continue. "Am I correct?"

"Y-yes."

"Okay." Ren blew out a nervous breath. "All...all of it is true. I love you, more than I ever thought it possible to love someone." His hands were trembling, his entire being terrified of a rejection, but he also felt relieved, like he had just lifted a thousand-pound weight off of his chest.

Shock again registered on her features, as if she had convinced herself that she had misheard or misunderstood what she had heard earlier. She processed it slowly once again, until she thought of something she had learned as Bo. "U-um, what about that high school girl? I thought you l-loved her." Of course it's not me, he has no reason to fall for me…

Ren looked at her strangely, trying to figure out where she had gotten such an absurd fact. There's plenty of gossip, but I didn't think any about some random schoolgi-Wait. Hold up. Did that chicken…? Ren swore under his breath. "Look, I don't know what that chicken guy told you, but just how many high school girls do you think I hang out with? Never mind, don't answer that. But the truth is that it's only you. I. Love. You. Nobody else." He sighed, and continued, "Kyoko. I know you aren't exactly partial to the idea of love, and I know you're in the LoveMe section for a reason, but I want you to know that I would wait for you forever. If, that is, if you decide you want to keep me around." Once again, his jitters returned.

"B-but…um…" Kyoko was utterly stunned. Me. He...loves me? "But I-I'm plain and boring, and there's so many more girls you could have that are all so much pr-"

Ren cut her off. "Kyoko, you are the most beautiful girl in the entire universe. You are the opposite of plain and boring; you're vibrant and exciting and lovely and dedicated. You… Kyoko, why are you crying?"

"I...am? I didn't notice. I-I…" Kyoko reached up and touched her cheek, surprised to find it wet. She couldn't find the words she needed to express herself.

Ren leaned forward, placing the palm of his hand gently on her cheek, and wiped away the runaway tear. His other hand found her waist, and he maneuvered her into his lap. From there, he wrapped her in his arms, and just like that, Kyoko couldn't stop her tears. This was the first time that someone so important to her truly returned her feelings. She was completely overwhelmed, and the barrage of emotions manifested themselves in tears. However, she wasn't sad. Her heart had grown wings, and she felt light and blissful. If she hadn't been experiencing the feeling herself, she wouldn't have believed anything could feel so...freeing.

After a while, Kyoko sniffed, her tears slowly receding, and whispered, "R-Ren. Thank you. I...I'm so happy." Although her smile was small and shy, it conveyed more than any words ever could. In a show of bravery, she confessed, "I love you too. I have for a while now, and it's never going to change. I love you, Ren."

Ren's eyes widened. "You...you do?" He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he hadn't dared hoped for this. His heart hammered in his chest, and because they were so close, he was pretty sure she could tell.

She smiled the sweetest smile he'd ever seen, and he swore he could hear angels sing. "Ren, I love you. I really, truly love you."

Ren shot to his feet, her still in his arms, and spun her around. Laughing and grinning, they embraced once more. Then, his hands slowly ventured from her hips to cup her face again. "Kyoko," he breathed, "can I kiss you?"

Once more unable to find the words, Kyoko opted to nod, and she quivered with excitement and elation. She felt him draw her face closer, and she slowly closed her eyes, the anticipation making her heart race.

Ren closed the distance between them, this time without being interrupted. The moment Kyoko felt his lips brush hers, a rapid succession of warm, excited tingles sprouted in her chest and spread throughout her body. Although it was just the slightest touch, it was full of tender emotion. Then, just like that, the mood of the kiss changed, becoming something desperate and needy, and Kyoko felt electric. Ren moved his hands to her back and behind her head, and pulled her flush against him. She lost herself in his scent, his touch, his kiss...she couldn't get enough.

Ren had tried, really tried, to go slow, to stay cool, and give her a chance to pull away if she changed her mind. He really did. But...but. She was so enticing, so irresistible, that after a few seconds of "staying cool", he couldn't hold back. Before Ren knew it, he was pulling her up against him, kissing her with every pent-up and held back emotion about her. He kissed her like he was going to die tomorrow. Nothing mattered but the two of them, right here, right now, and he wanted her to know that she held his heart in her hands.

After a several long, heated moments, they slowly pulled away. Brown eyes met golden ones, a loving smile met a shy one, and three of the most precious and important words were spoken. Between the two of them, their use would never wear out…

"I love you."

A/N: It's done, as promised! I really hope the ending is to your satisfaction! I had so much fun writing this, and I'll be starting another soon. My beta readers are magical, this couldn't have been complete without them! Thank you all so much, each review has been so awesome and kind! And of course, thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and read as well. Each one of you is my motivation!