Chapter Fourteen

Sho lay on a sofa, in the lobby, waiting for Shoko to come out of the bath, wallowing in his own self-pity and inability to keep his caustic comments to himself. He wasn't sure why she had that effect on him, it just seemed to happen every damn time and the fact that she had chosen those men as her 'brothers' didn't help much either. He had eerie shivers of fear traipsing up and down his spine as he thought back on her strange aura that matched and took over the group's. They all had an eeriness about them, but to him, it seemed as though she were their leader. The way she now carried herself. The way she confidently spoke and her overall demeanor. He couldn't help but arrogantly believe that he was the person solely responsible for her changes. When she spoke to him earlier, he had been completely disarmed. He thought back on the comment she had made of Shoko. Was he really using her as a mother figure in some sort of twisted Oedipal way? He shook his head at the thought. Shoko was the opposite of his mother, or was she?

"Sho... Sho..." Shoko called to him as she touched his shoulder to get his attention.

Sho scrambled up from his reclining position, out of the reach of her touch and shivered in faint subconscious disgust. Yes... It worked. Unbeknownst to Sho, her comment had planted itself in the back of his mind and burrowed itself in comfortably. From that day on, older women would be off the menu. In his subconscious mind, every older woman would take on the visage of his own mother.

"Wh...What?" He stuttered out nervously, trying to keep a respectable distance from her.

Shoko sighed. "Time to go back to the room." She told him.

Sho followed a bit of a distance behind her in his escort to her room. He stopped at the door, confusing her. "Sho?"

He stared at the floor in her doorway. "I... I'll be staying in my room. See you in the morning Shoko-san." He explained adding the honorific to create a professional distance between them and left for his room leaving a stunned and confused Shoko Aki standing in her doorway wondering just what the hell happened while she was in the bath.

He had spent all night contemplating his recent behavior towards his childhood friend that he had treated like some lowly servant. Where would she be right now? He thought to himself as he searched the open areas of the hotel. Maybe at breakfast? He decided as he passed the entrance to the cafeteria where they were now serving the morning meal and there she was, standing in line alone... without her bothersome 'brothers'.

"I'm glad you were able to call Tsuruga-san back last night. He seemed really worried about you." He heard the little blonde say to Kyoko.

Kyoko smiled gently. "Thank you for answering my phone last night, Momose-san. I really appreciate it." Kyoko thanked her.

"So, where did you go last night?" Momose asked her.

Kyoko sighed, she really didn't want to think about everything that had happened right now. She was in a relatively good mood. "I needed some air, so I took a short walk." She lied partially.

"Ah... Well next time, just let me know so I don't worry so much." The little blonde scolded.

"Sorry, I'll be more careful next time." She apologized and that's when Sho sidled up next to her and started piling things onto her breakfast tray.

Kyoko whipped her head around to find the man that had recently made it his mission in life to pester her. "What do you think you're doing?" She hissed under her breath.

"I'm buying your breakfast for you. Is there something wrong with the choices?" He asked sheepishly.

There actually wasn't, but she wasn't going to let him know that. "I want a Western Style breakfast this morning." She told him with a bit of petulance in her voice and shoved the full tray at him, then grabbing eggs, ham and sliced tomatoes and placing them on a new tray, not wanting to give in to his new little game that he may be playing with her at the moment. She paid for her own meal and hurried off to sit at a crowded table where Momose had saved her a seat, leaving Sho standing there to find a table far from where she had been sitting.

He sighed deeply as he started to dine on the meal that he had originally picked for her. "I really need to apologize to her." He whispered as he picked at the food.

Sho's next encounter with her occurred on the location set of Dark Moon. He had followed the group there so that he could look for the opportunity to apologize to her for his recent behavior. It probably would have worked had he just walked up and said those two little words that she had been waiting for months to hear, but no such luck. Every mouth was whispering to every ear and questioning the relationship between the two teens. This had irritated her even more when it came in the form of a question from Momose as they were having their makeup done for their morning scenes.

"Kyoko-chan, are you and Fuwa-san dating." She asked out of curiosity.

Kyoko whipped her head to her and scowled. "NO! What on Earth would make you think I was dating that cockroach?"

"Oh... Sorry.. I um, I didn't know. It's just he's been showing up a lot lately and he's been waiting for you to come out of makeup for the last hour." She quickly explained.

Kyoko rolled her eyes and sighed. "No... We aren't dating. I guess you could say that once upon a time we were friends, but that was a long time ago." She explained. "I never dated him, nor do I have any desire to." She finished.

"It's okay you don't have to explain." Momose assured her, then they continued discussing other topics as they finished their time in the makeup chair and Kyoko had to leave.

I don't understand why he has to keep bothering me. What is his problem? She mused silently as she approached the bottled-blond sitting at an outdoor table scribbling a song he was working on.

He felt the hairs on the back of his neck bristle and a shiver went down his spine. He turned and she was there, standing as silently as she had entered like the experienced hunter that she was.

"Hey..." He broke the silence.

"What do you want Shotaro?" She asked impatiently. "I have work to do."

"Where are your brothers or, Tsuruga for that matter." He asked trying to avoid what he originally came for.

She rolled her eyes. "Fuwa-san... Unlike you they are working right now. Just as I am. Now get to the point or, just leave."

He was silent..

"Fine. I have work to do." She turned and left with him following her like a lost puppy for the duration. For the entire time until Yashiro came onto the set, Sho had stayed close by, causing whispers and the hints of rumors that it was strange for him to be there.

"Isn't she dating Tsuruga-san?" One of her cast mates asked the other.

"I thought they were... They're always together." The other whispered.

Sho's temper was reaching a boiling point at this new revelation and started towards her when Yashiro cut him off and politely asked him to leave. Yashiro's point was that he was disrupting filming. Sho stomped away and back to the studio where Shoko was to sulk at his personal failure to apologize. "I should have just done it and got it over with." He huffed. "No! Why should I? She provoked me. I don't owe her anything."

Reino smirked at him as he walked past the seat in the lobby that Sho was occupying at the moment. "You may want to avoid her or, you will have to deal with her Arufaosu." Reino warned. "And he is not something you will survive."

"Are you threatening me?" Sho hissed.

Reino shook his head. "No... Just a friendly warning. I would hate for her Kuon to tear you to bits. He's got enough to think about right now." Yes, Reino had figured it out. He had known about Kuon from the time that he had cleansed her stone. He had decided that Kuon would tell her when they were both ready and that was not right now.

"You mean her dog?" Sho asked remembering the very large animal that he had the misfortune of angering a few weeks ago.

Reino chuckled. "Dog? No... Wolf, yes." He answered.

"She has a pet wolf?" Sho asked incredulously.

Reino belted out a sharp laugh at the concept. "Pet? Heh, I guess you could call him that where she's concerned. It would seem like that. She is the only one that has the ability to control him. So... yes, pet." He said as he walked away. "Remember my warning Shotaro."

Sho winced at the way Reino said his name and sat back down to contemplate on when had Kyoko gotten a pet wolf and how was it that she was the only one able to control him. She has changed a lot. He thought somberly.

A/N: Arufaosu : Alpha Male