Ren woke with a start, as he gasped and struggled to sit up. He looked down, realizing that his shoes were off, his socks were off, and his shirt was off?!

Kyoko pulled back, apologizing profusely and bowing repeatedly. He turned his head from his figure to her own, and took a double-start.

Gone was the leather skirt, top, and boots. She was clad in a nurse's uniform, and not a typical nurses uniform. The skirt was as short at Satuska's, and there was a little heart shape cut out the top. Whenever she bowed, it gave him a more than a small view of sinuous skin.

He turned his head and closed his eyes tight, willing himself to forget. This was the type of hell President Takarada would create. One full of love.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I had to wash all the cuts, or they'd get infected. I didn't mean to wake you. Please, endure Tsuruga-san. I'm almost done."

He took a light breath in, as the cold sponge dabbed at his forehead. The crust of bodily fluids and dirt he hadn't noticed earlier, felt much better once it was removed off his skin.

"You don't have to do this Mogami-san…" Ren tried to bat her arm away, but she ignored his weak attempts, muttering that it was her duty. It was only when he spotted her bruised wrist, did he seriously push her arm away. He grimaced as he remembered the night before, and turned to other side of the room so he didn't have to face her.

"Stop Mogami-san. I don't deserve this…" He squeezed his eyes together, embarrassed and upset. Him pushing her into the taxi, him grabbing her arm and yanking her like a rag doll, she jumping over to protect him, and risking herself to drag him away from violence, the law…and himself. "I apologize for acting…very poorly. I am not the…" he took a hard swallow, "the senpai you thought me to be."

A silence hung in the air, as she looked at his exposed back. Without knowing it, she climbed into the bed and sat beside him. Ren's body stiffened. She talked to the opposite wall, muttering quietly as if to herself.

"Tsuruga-san is..my senpai ..yes...but…he helped me many times since I've met him.. I never had a senpai acknowledge me before him…but I …I don't think a senpai would do all the things he has done for me…He… I know he is a person, not just an senpai, or an actor… I won't be able to understand everything he's going through…but I'd like to help..if and when I can. I want to stand on the same footing, and someday be equals..and friends…with Tsuruga Ren."

"I'm sorry!" Kyoko said suddenly, withdrawing from his bed and getting up. He swiftly reached back and grabbed her arm. She froze, as he rolled over. He looked up at Kyoko in his warm genuine smile. Reaching up with his other hand, he brushed her hair back behind her ear. He couldn't bear to see her doubtful, apologetic eyes, especially after all she had said.

"From down here, you look a bit like a fairy Kyoko-chan."

"Tsuruga-san, please don't tease me like that. Fairies are a serious matter." Kyoko whimpered, as she went to reach for the wet sponge. He pulled her back, and she slipped into a side sitting position.

Ren's long arm reached down and cupped Kyoko's face. He pulled her closer so she could see his smile.

"I'm extremely sure now Kyoko-chan. In this white uniform, your positively glowing. Butterfly fairies glow. Maybe only I can see it though." His voice dropped off. "I would understand, if you didn't believe me…." Ren slowly let his hands slip from her warm cheek, and she pulled back, blushing.

The silence in the air hung, as Kyoko ringed out the sponge behind the white curtain.

A mumble slipped through the curtains, catching Ren's attention.

"What was that?"

"I..I believe you, Tsuruga-san. Ever since I've been around the LME agency, working with Moko-san, finding new roles. I've felt like a caterpillar who finally sees that there's a future that's right for me." She came to his side and sat on the edge of the bed, sponge momentarily forgotten in her lap.

"You've always been an amazing help to me, and, you're always making me transform to a bigger and better person…Maybe I'm becoming a butterfly in front of you Tsuruga-san, because I couldn't realize there was anything past me past…Sho." Kyoko gulped down the unpleasant name, calming her demons.

Turning to her knees and crawling up the bed, Ren watched her leaned toward his side. He waited for the cool sponge start to clean again, but felt a warm breath at his cheek. For a moment, he closed his eyes, and felt Kyoko's lips brush again his warm skin.

It tingled as she moved away, and he shifted his head to face her. A strong red tinge had flushed along her cheeks, and she looked to the floor.

"I thought… I'd thank you in a way you're accustomed to."

Abruptly, Ren found his way to his knees and leveled his eyes with Kyoko, He looked for any sign of a character, doubt, something in her eyes, but it was as clear, golden, and heartfelt as all other times she'd spoken to him without pretenses. He smiled.

"Call me Ren…"

He leaned closer to her, as he kept his line of sight upon her lips.

****

One more chapter folks! Maybe an epilogue too. I tried to clean up my previous chapters a bit.