A/N:I wasn't planning to publish this chapter today, but I wanted to present to you some actual Ren x Kyoko scenes. Please forgive me for not adding any Ren x Kyoko scenes in the past few chapters! I really, really, hope that you can forgive me! I mean, I really needed to go at a very slow pace so that I won't get to a rushed ending. Uhm, so, please forgive me! (I'm really sounding pathetic TT^TT)
Disclaimers:I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my characters. Contains OOC elements!
Please enjoy the tenth chapter!
Chapter 10: Denser becomes less dense
It was a nostalgic memory, constantly floating somewhere in his mind. It belongs to the time when Azuma was still with him, laughing, joking, and teaching him about humans.
Hinamori Azuma is a tall, dark haired man with chocolate brown eyes filled with kindness and warmth. He was a parent to both the Servant beasts and one particular girl.
"Ne, Azuma?" Shion stares down at the two young children chatting by the river stream in the clearing, "Why did you choose that boy to be my model?"
Azuma was peering through the binoculars he brought with him, a stupid grin on his face, "He happened to be my first love's son and that woman's the most loving and caring person I've ever met. Coincidentally, my next project is to create a Serbeast to be showered with utmost care and love."
The boy looked away. Love and care, huh… he's too kind for his own good.
"By the way, what you're doing now is considered a crime, right?" Shion played with a pebble lying by his side.
"Naturally." Azuma answered nonchalantly, being careful not to fall from the short cliff in the forest, "I only created you through the measurements I estimated from what I think will he become when he turns into a teenager."
"Humans are hard to understand. If you love that woman so much, why don't you just snatch her away? You're not bad looking, and you have a genius brain. Why did you marry a woman you don't love, even going through the troubles to contribute in giving birth to a child?"
By now, Azuma lowers the equipment in his hand and turned to his 'son', "That's where you're wrong, Shion. I still love my wife, even if she was just after my money all along. I love my daughter too. Children are not responsible for a parent's wrongdoings."
The ochre haired boy scratched his ear, "Your daughter, huh?"
His blue topaz eyes went back to the two laughing children playing in the shallow river. His attention was on the younger child.
"It's a shame that she can only hold onto this happiness for such short period of time." He found himself muttering.
Azuma looks at the boy, who had remnants of the crushed pebbles embedding in his palm. "Shion, can you promise me just one thing?"
The boy glances at his 'father', "What is it?"
"If there's a time when I can't be around, please help me protect my daughter from that woman she calls her mother."
Shion just stares at the dark haired man, a passive look on his face. His attention went back to the girl giggling at her companion.
It's been a long time since I had that dream… Shion opened his eyes and found himself staring into the captivating golden eyes that reminded him of the reason why he's here.
"Shion-kun, are you okay?" Kyoko asked worriedly.
Shion smiled lazily, "Yeah. I just had a nostalgic dream."
He stood up from the couch, stretching his arms above his head, "How long was I out cold?"
"Eh? Uhm, you were probably sleeping throughout the whole filming." Kyoko replied uncertainly.
"I see." Shion was still feeling a little fuzzy, "Kyoko-chan, be careful okay?"
The girl blinked with lifted eyebrows, "Why?"
"You're going to a man's house to eat dinner, right?" Shion yawned.
Kyoko found her eyes fixated on the sharp and long canines on display.
Shion then slung his arms sluggishly over her shoulders and propped his chin on her head, stunning her into a frozen state, "I know I need to protect you, but I don't want to disturb your private time with Tsuruga-san. But in the end, men are beasts, so if anything happens, just give me a call, and I'll be there right away."
Registering the implications, she flushed red and willed her head not to move, but she stammered out, "I-It's not like t-that! I-I mean, Tsuruga-san has his wide variety of women out there, he wouldn't choose someone like me!"
Shion withdrew and looks down at her, puzzled, "Define 'someone like me'?"
"Eh? I mean, I'm plain and boring, and I don't have the curves men desire… why would Tsuruga-san want to even consider me as a love interest?"
He frowned irritably, "If you're going to beat yourself up, then I suggest you to stop. Why in the first place did you think that you're plain and boring anyway?"
Her mood turned foul immediately as a miniature cockroach Shotaro circled around her head with his conceited and smug smirk, taunting her with a song he made up with 'plain and boring woman!'
He then smiled gently, patting on her soft and silky orange hair, "Honestly, I think you're cute and pretty. You're kind, lacking of self-confidence, but you already captured the hearts of several men with your specialness."
Kyoko blinked in bewilderment, looking at the boy as if he'd lost his marbles. "Did you say what I think you said?"
"Why? You don't believe me?" Shion then stroked his chin with a thoughtful stance, and then an idea lit up in his mind like a light bulb.
"Kyoko-chan, how about this…"
Secretly, Ren was delighted, but he wouldn't show it on his face. He had to remain professional when it comes to Kyoko, since she has this weird sensitivity when it comes to him.
But somehow, he kept having the feeling that the girl was fidgeting more than usual. Had she noticed how hard it is for him to keep watch of his own restraints while she keeps staring at him warily from time to time, with that adorable blush on her porcelain face?
Gripping onto the steering wheel so that he wouldn't start touching her, Ren couldn't stop a sweat from sliding down his forehead. He felt like he had just done an impossible feat, seeing how the air conditioner is still switched on.
He cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly, "Mogami-san, what are we eating?"
Kyoko, who was actually following Shion's advice, blinked in astonishment, "Eh? Oh, um, I'm thinking of making Italian spaghetti."
"Is that so…" Ren felt his stomach churn at the massive amount of plastic bags lying by Kyoko's legs. How many servings is she planning to make?
After ten minutes, they were up in his apartment room, with Ren setting the table as always and Kyoko in the kitchen working her magic.
Kyoko was very nervous, and she can only blame Shion for that. The idea he suggested in order for her to be more aware of the men around her made her want to run away.
"Kyoko-chan, how about this…" Shion smiled merrily, "Tonight, watch how Tsuruga-san looks at you, talks to you, and compare it with the interactions he always have with other actresses."
"B-But—"
Shion covered her mouth with a palm, "Do as I say, Kyoko-chan, and you'll understand what I mean."
Ren had been watching his lady love dance around the kitchen mechanically, almost as if it was something of a body reflex to work familiarly. It made his heart soar and he couldn't help but let his genuine smile slip onto his handsome face.
Unknown to the actor, Kyoko was blushing, hard. She was only glad that she has her back facing the personification of holiness. She caught a glimpse of him standing by the kitchen entrance, but chose to ignore his presence.
T-That's the face Katsuki showed Mizuki… B-But he shows that to me too… bu-but wait a minute… Katsuki loves Mizuki, but it's supposed to be a secret… Eh? D-Does that mean… Nononono! Kyoko! That's impossible!
Ren saw the girl shaking her head so violently that he was worried she might topple something over. He approached her, "Mogami-san?"
"Kya!" Kyoko squeaked and jumped at the sudden closeness of his voice, accidentally smacking her knuckles against the scorching hot metal boiling pot. She recoiled with a loud wince.
Ren immediately took action and wrapped an arm around her waist, carrying her to the sink in an instant and twisted the tap on, "I'm so sorry, Mogami-san, I didn't mean to startle you."
"N-No! It's not your fault, Tsuruga-san! I was the one careless!" Kyoko argued back.
Ren blinked and sighed, "You have to be more careful, Mogami-san."
Kyoko froze after feeling his breath against her ear. If she had been blushing before, then she's definitely beet red right now. The feeling of Ren's arm wrapping around her waist and the larger hand gently grasping her scalded one heated her body. Her back was against the front of his firm body, and she could literally feel the muscles pressing into her.
She was reminded that Tsuruga Ren, no matter how much of a gentleman, is still a man capable of pinning her down effortlessly.
"T-Tsu-Tsuruga-san, uhm, I'm fine now. C-Can you please l-let me go?" She didn't forget to breathe, but she was stuttering so much that she was embarrassed.
He knew he should let go, but Kuon was giving him reasons not to. His gentleman persona was struggling to keep the beast in, but when he realized that Kyoko was actually aware of him as a man now, Kuon might be the dominating one.
When the man didn't show any signs of complying, Kyoko panicked inwardly, remembering the words Shion had said to her earlier.
"You're going to a man's house to eat dinner, right?"
"But in the end, men are beasts, so if anything happens, just give me a call, and I'll be there right away."
"T-Tsuruga-san?" The orange haired girl felt her heart pounding loudly against her ribs, and she feared that Ren would hear it. For the first time, she held a foreign feeling—she felt like she should never know about it— towards Tsuruga Ren as a man, not as the senpai she admires.
"Hm?" His deep, husky voice sent weird shudders down her spine.
Her face turned pale. E-Emperor of the Night! Nooo!
"P-Please let me go?"
"Why?"
'Why?' WHY? Tsuruga-san, why are you asking me 'why'?! She mentally screamed in dismay.
When the boiling pot made a gurgling sound, she thanked all the gods in the world for not forsaking her in the devilish grasp of the Emperor of the Night.
"The pot is boiling! If I don't get to it, I can't make a proper dinner! My objective today is to feed you the proper proportions, Tsuruga-san, or do you prefer to eat twice the amount?" Please work on him! My heart cannot handle the Emperor of the Night any longer!
That seems to snap him out of his clouded thoughts. He blanched at the thought of eating twice the amount Kyoko always made for him, which is already a lot in his point of view.
He slowly but reluctantly released her, and she sprang from him and to the stove, where she got the pot and started twirling around the room as if a tornado, attempting to drive the Emperor out of the kitchen, which succeeded fortunately.
After Ren went to the living room, Kyoko heaved a sigh of relief, and immediately fumbled for her phone and texted her potential savior in a clumsy manner, fighting against the urge to flush red.
So... how was it? I hope Kyoko and Ren were IC... The snippet of Shion's true identity... and just who is the caller in Chapters 8 and 9?
Please R&R!