I'm so so sorry this took so long. School got in the way anyhow. I have no excuse. Enjoy this chapter! And be expecting them every 4/5 days!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SKIP BEAT

Chapter 5

I walked down the stairs, with Tsuruga-san in tow. I stepped into the small kitchen area and fumbled around for a candle in the drawer. "Mogami-san, what are you looking for?" Tsuruga-san asked politely. "Candles," I said, "They should be around here somewhere." "Hmmm... Let me see." he said as he dug into his pockets and pulled out his cell phone, unlocking it its bright LCD light shown about and lit the dark drawers. Softly smiling, he took his other hand and began to rummage through the drawers. Slightly amazed he would do this, I finally began to register what was going on, and began to look through the other drawers lit by the run off of Tsuruga's phone.

As I pulled my hand back, Tsuruga-sans did the same, and our hands brushed against each other, if only for a blissful moment, the stealthy warmth of his hand as it flew past my own... I quickly pulled back my hand and blushed, swiftly turning around, and looked down into another drawer.

Moments later, a bright white light looked down and illuminate the drawer, "Oh look! There they are." Tsuruga-san said reaching from behind me into the drawer to grab the candles and matches. His chest leaned over my back as he reached over me stretching his strong arms to grasp the objects. Blushing again, I drew up my courage to speak, "Thank you for helping me to look Tsuruga-san." I said politely as I turned to face him. Smiling and nodding, he pulled out a match and scratched it against the side of the box to ignite it, holding it over the wick of the candle where the wick quickly jumped to into life.

"Alright, now we need to go to the storage room in the back, and see if we can find the generator." I said purposefully as Tsuruga-san held the candle between us. "Yes of course Mogami-san!" he said politely, "lead the way." he gestured towards a the door. "Uhm. Actually Tsuruga-san, it's the other door." I said giigling while pointing to a door on the far side of the room. "Oh..." he said, as he started laughing, a warm hearty laugh that made my heart glow. "Maybe you should lead." he said laughter still dripping off his words, as he handed me the candle.

oOoOoOoOoOo

I followed Kyoko through the door, and down a short flight of stairs. At the bottom, I saw Kyoko, standing, waiting for me, the dark enveloped her, making the candlelight surrounding her make her look like an angel. An angel.. Making me think back to the Fuwa video how close she was to him... It makes my heart pang with jealousy, and I grimaced.

At this, Kyoko turned around and looked at me, her amber orbs of eyes filled with concern and worry. "Tsuruga-san? What's the matter?" she asked, worry dripping from her words. " Oh yes Mogami-san, I'm fine. Just slipped a little on these last stairs." I said smiling at her. "Well... Alright" she said steadily walking forwards.

Following her, I stayed a few steps behind her as we steadily continued further into the basement, boxes sealed and opened strewn about piled on top of each other containing various things. Kyoko stopped towards the back corner, "Tsuruga-san, could you help me to move these boxes? The generator is somewhere behind them." "Sure." I said walking closer towards the boxes, and lifting them up and moving them to a different place.

After moving the first few boxes blocking it, the generator came into view and Kyoko looked over at me, "Alright! Thank you, now if we can just get it to turn on... It should still have gas in it..." she said beginning to mutter to herself. "Ah! Here is the switch!" she exclaimed bending over to flick it, the generator sputtered to life, than as quickly as it had started it shut itself down, the lights flickering back out. "This could be a problem, Mogami-san, is there any other gas down here?" I asked. "No... I don't think so." she said sighing and lowering her head. "Oh don't be down about it, maybe there is some upstairs!" I said enthusiastically, seeing my Kyoko in low spirits... Made my hearts ache.

"You're right, lets go." she said as we turned around and walked back up the stairs. When she reached the top, she began to turn the knob though the lock stuck. "Th-The door! It won't open!" she said her voice trembling. "Here let me try." I said, stepping around her and up to the door. Turning the knob I was met with a stop, unable to open the door by normal means, I through my shoulder against it trying to bust it open. "I-it won't budge Mogami-san." I said worried. Locked in a cold basement with the girl I love overnight during a blizzard. "What?! No! That can't be the lock doesn't usually stick!" she said starting to fidget worriedly. "Calm down Mogami-san, you keep knocking on the door, I'll see what's in the boxes if Taisho or Okami doesn't come soon."

"Alright." she said sighing as she started knocking on the door again as I walked back down the stairs to the boxes. Walking over to the first pile, I opened the first box, finding nothing but old antiques, not something really helpful. I closed the box and sat it too the side. Picking up the next box, I opened its cardboard top, old gardening tools. Again no good.

I opened the next box, photographs, again, still nothing. Walking to the other box piles, I opened the first one, an old quilt. Finally something useful! I looked further, a coat pulling it out as well, I sat it next to the quilt. Kyoko sullenly walked down the stairs. "Mogami-san... Are you alright?" I said looking at her with concern. "I'm just cold... Its freezing in here!" she said her voice quivering.

I'd been so preoccupied I never noticed the drop in temperature, though she wasn't wrong the room was dropping rapidly to frosty and uncomfortable atmosphere. "Here Mogami-san, use these and keep yourself warm." I handed her the blanket and the coat and made her put the coat on and wrap up in the blanket. "Thank you Tsuruga-san." she said her voice still quivering. "Go sit down Mogami-san, and just concentrate on staying warm. Okay?" Nodding she sat down and leaned up against the wall huddled up in her small cocoon of warmth. "I'll keep looking through the boxes and see if there is anything else."

I opened more boxes, finding nothing but old trophies, books, newspaper clippings, and more smiling faces filling up albums. Sighing I realized... This would be it, all we that we could find.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Tsuruga kept looking through boxes and I tried to stay warm huddled up in the old threadbare quilt and coat. "Mogami-san, that's all we're going to find I'd say. Are you warm?" he said, his voice starting to shake with the chill of the air too. "No, not really I'm still cold..." I said my teeth chattering worse still. He stood up and started walking towards me. "Mogami can I see your hands?" he asked carefully. Nodding I pulled the blanket off of my shoulders and held out my shivering hands to him.

He held my hand in his, his skin warmer than mine, but by a slim margin. But it was enough. He loooked shocked at how cold my hands were. "Mogami, trust me for a minute. Please?" he said, I nodded. "Take off your coat okay?" Obeying, I started to take off my coat, and he started to take off his wooly sweater. "Tsuruga-san! What're you doing?!" I said startled.

"You said you trusted me right?" He said. "Put it on Kyoko-chan. What matters is that you stay warm." He said so straightforwardly using my first name I blushed and he thrust the sweater at me. I took it from him, the soft fabric was warm on my fingertips and I slipped it on over my t-shirt. Ren leaned over as I put my coat back on and wrapped the blanket back around me, his strong muscles flexing as he moved. His hard chest and stomach moving with each motion he made, it was entrancing.

He sat down on the ground next to me, and wrapped his arms around my cocoon of warmth and lifted me up closer to him were I was nearly laying on him my head on his bare chest. Him and his sweater both, smelled of a strong yet subtle cologne, a smell I wanted to do nothing more than to soak up. "Tsuruga-san! What're you doing now?!" I said alarmed as he moved me. "I will keep you warm. I promise." he said as his teeth started to chatter more, and he started to shiver more violently than before.

I unwrapped the blanket from around myself, and threw it around him too. He looked at me surprised. "Thank you Kyoko-chan..." He said using my given name again. I blushed and he put his arm around me and held me close to him and buried his face in my hair and held me close to him. I was stiff but relaxed and breathed in his scent. This is the man I love... Tsuruga Ren.

He held me and held me, trying to keep me warm. He moved, and kissed my forehead. His soft lips, cool to the touch, but one of the warmest things in the room. He moved his face and lay it on my own, as I nowly sat with my head resting on his shoulder. And I was happy. This might be the closest I'll ever be too him. I closed my eyes and slowly sleep overcame me.

oOoOoOoOo

I lay with my head on Kyoko's own. How rash can I be? To do this much. Oh well. I breathed in her warm smell, like warm cinnamon. I didn't regret my actions. Finally... A good excuse to hold her close to me. I loved her, this firey young girl, this young actress, and there she was I could feel her breathing slow against my bare chest, and I knew she was asleep. I kissed her one final time on the top of her head. And leaned back, and sleep pulled over me, physically cold, but my heart couldn't have been warmer.