Before anything I want to give my immense thanks to Dragon Spirit 10, who have taken the time to help me edit this fan fiction. I truly don't know what I would do without you. Thank you so much.
I would also like to thank everyone that has taken the time to read, favorite, follow, and review Laser-Tag Love. I am very grateful and glad that you are enjoying it.
Here is chapter fifteen. I hope that you all like.
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of the characters from it. Skip Beat is the property of Yoshiki Nakamura.
Parent's Joy
Kuu and Julie were quiet for about a minute as the news sunk in. Then Kuu and Julie started talking at the same time very loudly.
"WOO-HOO!" Kuu cheered in a loud voice.
"We are sooo happy for you two!"
"Why didn't you tell us last week!? Kuon you're being a gentleman right!?"
Kuon and Kyoko looked at each other. Both not knowing what kind of expressions to have. After half a minute Kuon smiled. He pulled Kyoko onto his lap and gave her a quick loving kiss. "I told you they would be thrilled." He whispered and then kissed her again.
"Are two still there?" Kuu's voice came through the phone but this time it was at normal volume.
Kuon smile as he replied. "Yes we are. But we were waiting for you two to calm down before trying to talk again."
"Well we have calmed down enough that we are no longer shouting. So you are in no danger of not being heard or going deaf." Kuu said a smile evident in his voice. "But neither of you have answer the question your mother asked."
Kyoko look slightly confused. "What question?"
Kuu was about to respond but Julie beat him to it. "I asked why you two didn't tell us last week?"
Kyoko looked at Kuon, not knowing how to answer their Mom.
Kuon smiled at her. "We had just decided to start before we called you last week. It was only an hour at most between deciding to date and calling you. We wanted to keep it private for a little while."
Julie thought about that answer and said, "that makes sense. So are we the only people that you've told?"
"Well Boss knows and I pretty sure that means Sebastian knows. But that's it." 'Along with someone who walked in on us kissing. I have a feeling I know who that was though. If I could just confirm it.'
"So that kidnapper knew before us!?" Julie was incensed.
Kuu tried to calm his wife down. "Dear, please calm down. It makes sense that Boss would know before us. He sees Kuon almost everyday. He's basically a second father to Kuon. Beside with his infatuation with love he would just need to see Kuon and Kyoko in a room together to know that they are dating."
Julie didn't say anything at made to get up from the couch.
"Julie where are you going?"
"I'm going to buy a plane ticket. I need to see my children!"
Kuon's face went white when he heard this. "Mom wait! Please don't! I love you but I'm not ready yet. Please understand. Please." His voice was quiet at the end, pleading.
Kyoko hugged him tightly trying calm him. He looked like he wanted to cry. He hugged Kyoko back. Holding her once again as though she was a lifeline.
"It's okay, Kuon. They'll understand and respect your wishes. Shhh. It's okay." Kyoko whispered into his ear, doing her best to help him.
"I'm sorry, Kuon. I do understand. I just miss you." Julie said quietly and lovingly.
Kuon sighed calming down. He kissed Kyoko's hair and then her cheek.
"I miss you too, Mom. More than anything. But I'm not ready to tell the world that I'm Hizuri Kuon. I'm just not ready for that yet."
Kuu decided it was time to talk of lighter matters. "By the way Kuon, when did you fall in love with Kyoko? Your Mother and I would really like to know."
Kuon smiled and chuckled slightly. He glanced at Kyoko and she looked right back at him with a blank face.
"That is kind of a long story, Dad. You actually might not believe it."
"And why wouldn't I believe you?"
"It's kind of a crazy story, actually."
Kyoko smiled at that. "I think that's a good way of describing it."
"What do you two mean?" Julie asked, her voice full of curiosity.
"You two are acting like this is an inside joke or something." Kuu commented.
Kuon and Kyoko looked at each other again and started laughing.
"I guess it is. In a manner of speaking." Kuon said once her got his laughter under control.
"Stop stalling and tell us!" Kuu and Julie said together in exasperation.
"Okay. You two had better get comfortable. It's a long story."
"How can it be long story? I thought you two only met when Kyoko joined LME."
"Actually, Dad, we met a long time before that."
"How?"
"If you will stop asking questions we could tell you."
"Okay, Kuon, we'll be quiet. Please start your story. We are really looking forward to it."
"Do you want to start the story or do you want me to?" He whispered.
"You start." She replied quietly.
"Okay." Kuon smiled and gave her another quick kiss before starting. "Dad, do you remember when I was ten and you brought me to Japan while you were filming a movie?"
"Of course I do." Kuu answered quickly. "It was Kyoto. That was why I brought you I wanted to show you where I was..." His voice trailed off at the end. A thought had struck him, seemingly out of nowhere. 'Kyoko was also born in Kyoto. Is it possible that...?' "Kuon are you telling us that...?" He let his question hang but he knew that Kuon understood.
'He figured it out rather fast.' "I think you know the answer to your question, Dad."
"Well I don't," said Julie. "Would someone please tell me what is going on?"
"While Dad was filming his movie I would go exploring in the woods. It kept me out of trouble and it was safe. One day I was by a stream in a clearing just looking around when I heard a noise. I turned around and saw a little girl coming into the clearing. I have a feeling you can guess who that girl was."
Julie gasped, "Kyoko."
"Yes it was me." Kyoko responded quietly not knowing what else to say.
"What were you doing in the woods, Kyoko? You can't have been very old at the time."
"I was six. But I had been in the woods often so I knew my way around. That day I was there because... because..."
Kuon hugged her and finished her sentence. "Kyoko was there because of her mother. I hope that you don't expect us to elaborate on that."
Kuu frown. 'How often did that women hurt Kyoko? She doesn't deserve to be called a mother.' "Of course we don't." 'Unfortunately I'm sure that we can guess what happened.'
"Doing that time Kyoko and I became friends. I spent time together everyday for the rest of the time that Dad and I were there. We behaved as typical children. Using our imaginations and playing games.
"No offense, Dad, but at the time I preferred to spend time with Kyoko instead of watching your filming."
"So that is why you kept saying 'no' when I asked you if you wanted to come watch. That certainly makes more sense now. I kept wondering why you didn't agree. Is that why you were so depressed when it was time to come home?
"That really confused me. When we first got to Japan you weren't at all that impressed by it."
"Yes that is why I was sad about leaving. I didn't want to but I knew that we had to."
"I didn't want you to leave either." Kyoko said is a small sad voice. Remember what it was like having to tell Kuon good-bye, thinking that she would never see him again.
Kuon smiled sadly and kissed her forehead. "I know and I'm sorry. But everything is alright now. We miraculously found each other again."
Julie sighed when she heard Kuon say that. "You two were destined to be together."
Kyoko blushed bright red.
Kuon smiled, "you might be right, Mom."
"Okay, so you two met for a few weeks when you were ten and six. Then you were separated for about nine years."
"Actually it was ten years." Kyoko replied. "We met again when I joined LME. But we didn't know that we had known each. Kuon figured it out, I don't know when. He still hasn't answered that question." She gave Kuon a hard look.
Kuon looked at here apologetically. "Sorry, Kyoko. We started talking about other things and I forgot."
"Then you can tell us all now." Julie said in a cheerful voice.
"Before Dad and I left Kyoto I gave Kyoko something to remember me by. I gave her the blue stone that I had. Apparently Kyoko carried it with her everyday since then." He smiled at Kyoko.
Kyoko's blush, which had been disappearing, came back in full force.
"One day at LME she dropped that stone and I happened to pick it up. I recognized it immediately. It was then that I realized that Kyoko was the same Kyoko I knew when I was ten."
Kyoko was shocked. She got up from Kuon's lap and glared at him. "You knew for that long and didn't say anything! I know why you didn't but still. That long!" At that point here knees gave out and she fell to the floor.
Kuon just sat staring at her with wide eyes, while she spoke. He didn't know what to do or say. As soon as she fell to the floor he was right next to her, leaving his phone on the couch. He pulled her into a tight embrace and stroked her hair.
After a minute she spoke, "I'm sorry Kuon. I shouldn't have said those things. I'm so sorry."
Kuon shook his head, still holding her. "Don't be. It's fine. If our lives were reversed I would feel the same way."
They stayed like that until they heard Kuu's voice coming from the phone on the couch.
"Kuon! Kyoko! What's going on?"
Kuon hurriedly grabbed his phone. "Sorry, Dad. Kyoko and I were working something out. Everything is alright now." He sat back down on the couch and pulled Kyoko onto his lap again.
"I told you, you two are fated to be together. I'm so happy for you two!"
"So am I!"
Kyoko went bright pink and didn't way anything.
"We're happy too."
Kuu and Julie beamed. Kuu looked at the clock and realized that they had been on the phone for almost two hours. He nudged Julie and indicated the time. Julie's eye widened and realized that they should let their children go get some sleep.
Kuon and Kyoko had just come to the same conclusion as Kyoko gave a big yawn and had to force her eyes to stay open.
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry but I think it's time we said bye. Kyoko is getting rather tired and so am I."
"Don't worry baby. We understand."
"We were actually thinking that it was time to hang up. It's nice to know that we are all on the same page. So I guess we shall bid you two good night, and speak to you later."
"Sleep well you two. We love you."
Kuon and Kyoko smiled.
"We love you, too. 'Night Mom, 'night Dad."
"Goodnight Otou-san, Okaa-san."
Kuu and Julie hung up the phone they were using and beamed at each other again.
"I believe our children are doing just fine." Kuu said proudly.
"I agree. When do you think Kuon is going to propose?"
Kuu laughed, "They've only been dating for a week. I think its going to take a while for him to work up the courage to ask Kyoko to marry him."
Julie sighed wistfully. "I suppose you're right. But I hope that Kyoko will let me design her dress when they do get married."
"I'm sure she will, Honey. I'm sure she will."