Steal You Away
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat!
A/N: I'm really happy this is getting such a good response! Thank you everyone for your support and comments.
Ch. 3
Ren leads them out into the warm Tokyo night and the lights of the city seem brighter as he holds her hand a little tighter.
"C...can I have my hand back?" Kyoko asks quietly looking down too embarrassed to meet his eyes. Ren gives her a smile.
"Only if you tell me your first name." He replies leaning over in front of her to meet her flustered golden gaze.
She's quiet for a few more steps, then meets his gaze again, he gives her an encouraging smile. She blushes a little and he squeezes her hand and gives it a little swing.
"Aren't you embarrassed to be with someone like me?" She asks as she avoids another woman's curious look. Ren shakes his head.
"Not at all." And he gives the woman an award winning smile.
"...Kyoko. My names is Kyoko Mogami." She says unable to take anymore.
"Kyoko..." He says her name like he's savoring the taste and Kyoko blushes at the left out suffix and tone of his voice.
He does not let go of her hand though and she begins to get fidgety.
"Tsuruga-san can I have my hand back now?" She waits a moment but he doesn't respond or give her her hand.
"Tsuruga-san?" Ren looks at her then giver her an over the top smile and strangely Kyoko shudders feeling as though he disapproves. Ren looks at her expectantly as the wheels turn in her head and then the stop. Her face burning red.
'No way I can do that, that's much too familiar!'
Ren sees that she's uncomfortable and he sighs disappointed.
"You can use the suffix if it makes you feel better." He gives her an encouraging smile.
Kyoko's face which had returned to normal color, reddened at the familiarity. A few more paces and calming breaths and she was ready.
"R...Ren-san can I Have my hand back?"
Ren tried to keep his heart from speeding up at the small victory and the way his name sounded from her voice but he quickly realized that was a fight he was destined to lose. Ren gave her a genuine smile and Kyoko's heart skipped a beat. In the two and a half movies she had watched she had never seen such a heart stopping, mind melting expression from him and secretly she felt happy that he was showing it to her. Suddenly his hand didn't feel so uncomfortable and once again the world seemed to fall away around them. Until bright rotating lights, happy chatter, short bursts of screaming and the smell of fried food became louder and more frequent.
Kyoko unfocused from her Ren filled haze and takes in her new surroundings.
'A fair!'
Being someone who was constantly working or saving money she never had the chance to go or anyone to go with Sho being who he is. As she looks up at Ren with stars in her eyes he can't help but laugh.
"You guessed it." He says chuckling.
Her face lights up and the smile she gives him makes his mind go blank. As she pulls him by the hand she was asking release from he can't help but to give himself an inner pat on the back. At the entry kiosk she tries to pay for herself which he refuses to allow. Reasoning that he invited her so he will pay, she pouts but can't argue and he finds her reactions to be unbearably cute.
Luckily this was the last weekend the fair would be in town after a month long stay so it was less crowded which was always good.
It was all so new and exciting for Kyoko, sensory overload. The vendors yet out their games and show off the prizes hoping for customers and Kyoko scans over the various games and prizes until one prize catches her eyes.
A cute birdcage like pendent with a small pink jewel shining in the light inside the cage. She thinks about Corn tucked safely in his pouch in her purse, she could be his little sister. Kyoko looks up to Ren with a hopeful expression. Ren gives her a why not smile and they both step up to the vendor.
Kyoko asks the man happily.
"What do you have to do to win the pendent?"
The man turns to the prize and gives her a chipper smile.
"That's one of the more trickier shots you have to knock down all the bottles with only one shot, two stack in a row." The bottles are stacked, bottom layer three, middle layer two and top layer one. The toy gun fires a cork.
Kyoko pays for two corks and lines up her shot. The first one hits the top bottle which flies back into the safety net. The second cork flies into the middle of the second stack of bottles successfully knocking three of the bottles down. She congratulates herself on hitting any but it's not enough for the pendent and she feels a little twinge of annoyance for not being perfect at it. An old habit.
The vendor hands her a small stuffed whale as a consolation prize. As she examines the whale she hears the pop of the cork gun and bottles banging together as they fall against the netting. She looks up and the previous stack of bottles that was in front of Ren is no more. Ren releases a breath as he squeezes the trigger and the cork flies straight and true demolishing the second stack. He places the cork gun back into it's plastic holster and the vender hands him the pendent, giving him congratulations.
"Great shooting, man!"
Ever the polite man, Ren thanks him for the compliment. Ren gives Kyoko a victorious smile and dangles his prize in his hand. Kyoko stares in wonderment.
"Where did you learn to shoot like that?"
Ren gives her a no big deal shrug and replies.
"Acting school."
Ren twirls his finger at her telling her to turn around and she shakes her head aggressively.
"But that's your prize!"
Ren holds it up to her face.
"What am I gonna do with this?"
Kyoko pictures him wearing it and she can't stop the laughter as it bubbles up. Ren rejoices in the sound of her laughter and her happy face.
"Why don't we trade then?" He suggests gesturing to the whale in her hands.
Kyoko looks from the whale to the pendent and it didn't really seem like a fair trade but he obviously didn't want the pendent.
He twirled his fingers again and this time she complied. She moved her long black hair as he wrapped the chain around her neck, connecting the clasp. The chain falls to the focal point and Kyoko drops her hair. Her face a tinge of pink as she thinks about his warm fingers brushing the back of her neck while he clasped the necklace.
Ren registered the sweet smell that permeated when she moved her hair and he noted the smoothness of her skin at the nape of her neck. Realizing his thoughts he shakes his head in disbelief at himself.
'What am I, in high school? I'm behaving like a lusty preteen.'
Kyoko turns back toward him with a shy smile.
"Thank you." She hands him the small stuffed whale.
"Thanks. What do you want to do next?" He asks looking at all the possibilities.
The smell of fried dough and sugar catches her nose and her stomach growls in reply as a boy with a plate and a large smile walks by.
"What is that?" She asks Ren as the boy walks by. Ren replies.
"That's a funnel cake, hot fried dough with powdered sugar. They're pretty good."
His repulsion for food momentarily forgotten they get a funnel cake and share it at the food court tables. Kyoko marvels at the new found food and Ren can't believe she'd never had one or even been to a fair before. And a part of him feels happy he'd done something she'd never experienced before.
As they sit there a few fans come up for autographs and Kyoko can't help but notice the difference between his fan base and Shotaro's.
Ren's fan base seems to be more adult, in both age and demeanor. Giving him both privacy and a choice to sign autographs, they would continue to follow his career either way.
Sho's fan base was mainly teenage to late twenties women who screamed like banshees and chased him down for autographs.
Somewhere Sho sneezes and curses whoever is bad mouthing him.
Kyoko glances down at her watch and her heart sinks a little at the late hour, she has work tomorrow. But since she's here there is one thing she really wants to do.
Ren finishes up the autographs in his normal polite manner and glances at Kyoko who's eyes are glued to the Ferris Wheel and he smiles at her innocence.
Once again remembering the little girl from his past. Why did she remind him of that little girl so much? The memory was fuzzy now. He only remembered bits and pieces now but her golden eyes and bright smile would forever stay in his heart. He shook his mind from the past.
"Wanna ride the Ferris Wheel next?"
Kyoko's eyes light up and gives a big yes nod excited. Ren chuckles at her cute antics and they start making their way over to the large ride.
Kyoko walks beside him but not too closely worried about being improper and too forward with the famous man.
Now Ren's nervous as he watches her hand swing back and forth in motion, wanting to hold it again. They walk in semi-comfortable silence both over aware of the other.
They wait in line and Kyoko and Ren make a game of people watching as they wait. Both trying to ignore the fact that couples are all around them and are the only people in this line.
When there turn comes Ren hands her into the glass enclosed four person bucket and they sit opposite each other watching the scenery change from ground view to birds eye as the bucket lifts. When they reach the top they get their five minutes at the top and admire the city all lit up around them.
"It's hard to imagine that each of these lights is someones job or home with their own separate lives and ways of living." Kyoko says her mind running over her own life choices she's made.
"Yeah, it's a nice thought to think with all these people around your definitely never alone. Ren replies his mind briefly thinking about those old dark days where he'd been lost within himself after Rick's death. He unconsciously touches his watch.
Kyoko watches Ren as he replies and he suddenly seems so sad like he'll disappear if she doesn't make some kind of contact with him. She reaches out and threads her fingers through one of his hands bringing him back. He gives her an apologetic smile and she shakes her head giving him no reason to apologize. As they descend back to the ground they sit in comfortable silence Ren once again enjoying the feel of her hand in his. As they get off hand in hand Ren feels an uncomfortable feeling of being watched but it soon vanishes.
Kyoko lets Ren know she is ready to go having to go to work in the morning and they start to head back to the entrance. As they make their way back to Square One where her bike is and his car is parked he asks her about her jobs.
Which she readily tells him and he comments on all the jobs she has and asks why the need.
"I'm living in a rather expensive apartment and I need them all to keep up with the rent. Plus, I don't really have any hobbies or anything to do on my downtime so working is kind of my hobby." She says hoping he doesn't ask why she doesn't just live in something she can afford more comfortably. But he doesn't his mind zeroing in on Square One and his car.
"Do you want a lift?" He asks hopefully.
Kyoko's mind races for an excuse.
"No, I couldn't ask that of you! Thank you, that's very kind but I need my bike to get from one job to the next and I don't think it'll fit in the backseat."
Ren accepts her reasoning and they stop at her bike.
"Thank you very much for taking me to the fair and for the pendent." She says as she touches it fondly.
Ren smiles at her gentle gesture.
"My pleasure, hopefully we can do it again."
Her words catch in her throat.
'He wants to do something with me again!?' She gives him an embarrassed nod. They say their goodbyes and she petals away. Her hand instantly missed from his.
Ren watches her until she turns a corner and he loses sight of her. He turns his phone back on as he walks to his car. As his phone is turning on he notices one crucial thing he forgot, her phone number. Ren sighs heavily and muses up his hair in frustration. Vowing next time he sees her to exchange numbers. As everything boots back up to functional he sighs resignedly at the screen. One missed call from Takarada Lory, his boss and non-related uncle of sorts. Ren gingerly presses the phone to his ear as he tries to ready himself for the eccentric man's recorded message.
"Ren! My office first thing in the morning! Who is this mystery woman!?" Lory screams over excited and no doubt very curious since he is a strong believer of all thinks like and love related.
Ren groans his troubles shutting his phone forcefully.
'I'm gonna kill you Yashiro.'
As Ren drives out of the parking lot a man steps out of the shadows and kisses his camera fondly.
"I got you this time, Tsuruga." He says to the retreating tail lights.
A/N: Man even I didn't see that guy coming. Hopefully that curbs some appetites for a bit lol. As usual R&R please I really appreciate all the support everyone's giving.