You want more? Ok here you go.
Note: I do not own Skip Beat!.
Yashiro listened excitedly for a long time as Ren unraveled the enigma that he had come to see his friend as. Once the pieces were all laid out for him, Yashiro had no problem fitting them together. No matter how farfetched Ren's story sounded, it made perfect sense to his manager. He finally had the answers for all those odd quirks and questions that Ren left him pondering. Once the two men had come to terms, they picked themselves up from the floor to go see what the girls were cooking. The stocky stranger was leaning against the far wall of the kitchen chatting with the girls in broken Japanese and English when the two men step around the corner. He grunted to get the girls' attention and nodded towards the new arrivals.
"We all good?" Catherine asked.
"Ya." Ren informed her. He was still concerned about the unnamed man at the far end of the room. Somehow, he was oddly familiar to the tall actor, like he had seen him before. Catherine caught the look in his eye and turned to look at the stranger Ren was watching.
"Oh don't worry about him." Catherine reassured the actor and put down the knife she had been using. "I haven't gotten the chance to properly introduce you." She wiped her hands on a towel and turned away from the counter. "This is Brian Con. He's my brother-in-law." Yashiro perked up to hear that the man was somehow related to his love. The man stood up to greet his guests. "Con this it Yashiro Yukihito and Hizuri Kuon, professional known as Tsuruga Ren." Ren blanched as she used his real name to introduce him. Con came over to the men to shake their hands as Catherine explained him. "Con is a navy nuke stationed aboard the USS George Washington and has kindly allowed us to use his home." Ren took the man's hand and shook it warily. "I can promise you that he will not say a word to anyone."
"How can you be so sure?" Ren asked. Catherine gave him a smile filled with deviousness.
"Cause if he whispers it to a soul, I will tell my sister." Con blanched at the threat. He swallowed down his fear and nodded.
"You have my word." The seaman agreed in the best Japanese that he could muster. Both Yashiro and Ren were surprised at the fear the sailor showed at the threat of his wife.
"So where is your sister?" Yashiro asked looking around for the woman. Catherine turned back to her cooking now that the men were introduced.
"Currently, she is at sea." Catherine shrugged as she arranged the strawberries she was cutting onto the cake. "She is a nuke aboard the USS George H W Bush." Ren kept turning over where he had seen the man before. The mention of her sister brought back the pictures on the entertainment center in her living room. Now it made more sense.
About that time, Kyoko announced that dinner was done, and Con pulled out the dished they would need. Kyoko dished up portions for everyone and they took their meal out to the table. Since there was not enough seat for everyone at the table, Con perched himself upon a stool near the counter. They ate to the sounds of Kyoko's excited tales of where they had been over the last few weeks. She only paused in her story to take bites and to scold Ren into eating more. To Yashiro's surprise, she also scolded Catherine for not eating enough. The older woman gave a very pointed look, but finished the food on her plate. When dinner was done, their host took away the plates so that Kyoko could finish her tale of their trip around Japan via motorbike.
"We stayed in all kinds of cool places, from hot springs to hotels." Kyoko bubbled on. Ren hung on every word that passed the girl's lips. For being in danger, they had a really great time, and he wanted to take her on a trip like that after they were married. Yashiro listened to the tale, but his eyes were on the older woman adding tidbits in occasionally. She was smiling, but she seemed very sad to him. When Kyoko finished her tale, Ren took her hand and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles affectionately.
"I've missed you." He admitted to the girl as he stood up and pulled her to her feet. Kyoko blushed as he rolled her up in his arms and held her tightly to him.
"I missed you too," Kyoko admitted to the chest she was pressed into. Slowly Ren pulled her back and leaned into her for a soft kiss. He did not care if they had an audience; his self-control could not take having her this close again and not kissing her. Yashiro smiled at the affection and turned to Catherine quietly standing up from the table. She was smiling happily at the embracing pair, but he could have sworn he saw a tear roll down her cheek as she turned into the kitchen. He got up to follow and find out what was wrong with the girl.
He found her by the counter next to her brother-in-law. The man had wrapped an arm around her shoulders and was giving her a comforting hug. It was the same embrace that he had seen from the floor in the living room. He was muttering to her in soft English, but it was too low for Yashiro to hear. The manager cleared his throat to make his presences known and Con pulled away from the woman to look at him. Yashiro caught the quick motion of Catherine wiping her cheeks as she turned her attention to the cake on the counter top. Con watched him with guarded eyes as he passed by him to leave the room.
"Hey Yashiro-san." Catherine greeted him without really looking at him. Yashiro came to stand in the place the sailor had just left.
"What's wrong Catherine?" He spoke softly to her.
"Forgive me, I'm just emotional right now." Catherine wiped away another tear that leaked out and started to cut the cake up. She was stopped when Yashiro placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her to look at him. When she would not raise her head, he pushed up her chin so she was forced to look him in the eyes. He looked into her red rimmed eyes and could see the pain she held there.
"What's wrong?" He asked again. Catherine let out a sigh that made her shudder. Yashiro let his hand slip away from her as she looked down and stepped in against him. He wrapped his arms around her as she spoke into his chest.
"I am sorry." She started. "I was sure after everything that I have done, you would not forgive me." Yashiro tightened his hold on the distressed girl and rested his head on hers. He felt her wrap her arms up his back.
"Of course I will forgive you silly girl." He squished her in his arms as he felt her relax against him. He pulled her back so he could see her eyes. "Now stop all this foolishness ok." Catherine nodded.
"Ok Yuki." Yashiro leaned forward and captured the lips that had just formed his name. He loved the way it sounded coming from her. When they finally pulled apart, Catherine's tears were gone and Yashiro helped her serve up the cake. He noticed when she ran her hand across her stomach before picking up the plates to take out to the table.
"Are you ok?" He wondered if dinner was not sitting well with her. She nodded her head.
"I just hurt where Ren kicked me." Catherine led the way to the table.
"Kicked you?" Yashiro asked in shock. He could not see his friend kicking a girl.
"Only because I attacked him." She explained so he would not get mad.
"Attacked him!" Yashiro's eyes widened.
"How else do you think I managed to subdue him?" Catherine smiled at him. He was suddenly glad that she had used ether on him.
It was late by the time that dessert was done so Con pulled out the extra futon and blankets that he had. Catherine has supplied them all with comfy clothing to sleep in. After his guests had changed and they had everything they needed, the sailor excused himself to bed. He had duty tomorrow and needed to be up very early. Catherine thanked him again with a hug before he left for bed. It was quickly decided that Kyoko and Ren should take the futon and Catherine and Yashiro would sleep on the couch together. Both areas would make cramped sleeping spaced for the two couples, but at least Ren could stretch out on the futon.
Ren was in heaven as he laid face down on the living room floor while Kyoko straddled his hips as she rubbed the aches from his back. He had complained that the fight and the ride in the car had given him cramps so Kyoko had made the tall actor lay on the futon for a good rubbing. He had wanted to take off his shirt so that he could feel her hands kneading his body better, but with the other couple in the room, he was sure that would make her too embarrassed. He dreamt of the not too distant future where she could do this for him with a lot less clothing on. He groaned as her fingers hit a particularly sore spot and he added massage oil to the list of things he was going to take on their honeymoon.
When she had finished working his back over, she pulled his shirt back into place and stood up off from his back. Ren let out a sigh as her weight lifted from him and she laid their blanket over top of him. He grew a little cross with the girl when she settled herself down on top of the covers next to him, but all it took was a quick movement for him to pull back the covers and capture the girl in his arms. She squeaked her protests, but he shushed her and nodded to the pair on the couch. Kyoko settled into to her fate quietly as she watched the quiet managers. Yashiro was on his back while Catherine laid face down on his chest. She could see little movements of the blanket as Yashiro gently rubbed the sore muscles in Catherine's back. Catherine deep even breathing showed that she was either asleep or very relaxed. Kyoko decided that it would be best if she went to sleep to. And after a soft kiss from the man that loved her, she drifted off to sleep in his warm arms.
Author's note: I just had to add some fluff in, the last few chapters were way too serious.