Chapter 21: Delightful Dream

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Yashiro's work would never be over even after they become a couple.

Kyoko surprised Yashiro as she dashed out of the elevator with Ren trailing behind. His inner fangirl squealed with glee when he discovered that his female charge spent the night again. He doubted anything indecent happened since he knew Ren would treasure her.

As he drove to Kyoko's school, he wanted to take back his words. What was with this heavy atmosphere? Yashiro's sixth sense confirmed that something did happen. He glanced at Ren in the rearview mirror. Ren thought his usually impassive face was concealing his emotions. Unfortunately for him, Yashiro had become used to seeing Ren's "so happy together" face these last few weeks that he noticed something was wrong with his favorite couple. Did they fight? Already? This wasn't good.

He turned his attention to Kyoko. She was practically sitting on the door handle trying to put as much distance between her and Ren as possible. He couldn't see her face clearly since she stared intently out the window.

Yashiro sighed with dismay. He felt his workload increase as he racked his mind with ideas to remedy their situation. He knew from experience that if something negative happened between them it would bleed into their work.

"I was so surprised to find Kyo-," he broke off his sentence when he caught sight of Ren's ultra gentleman smile in the rearview mirror. He decided to wait until he was alone with Ren to badger him. He hoped Kyoko would be fine at school today without addressing the issue.

Yashiro dropped Kyoko at the same curb as last time. She scrambled out of the car and bowed to both of them. Her eyes made brief contact with Ren's making her face instantly flame up. She bolted off down the sidewalk and into the school gates.

"Ren, mind telling me why Kyoko is avoiding you like the plague? Wait?! D-d-did you guys….IT?" Yashiro stammered out. His inner fangirl did a back handspring to cheer Ren on for a job well done; however, his rational side tempered said fangirl.

"Yashiro-san, please don't jump to such dramatic conclusions because your heart desires it. It's not as bad as you're implying," Ren said, flinching then flushing red.

"Ah-ha! You did do something! It's okay as long as it's mutual consent and doesn't affect your work. I won't judge. But looking at the way she's reacting, you need to do some damage control otherwise you might end up back at square one."

Ren sighed. Yashiro was right. It would be horrible if she started avoiding him again. He couldn't bear it. He pulled out his phone to send a text, I'm sorry. Please don't shut me out, I love you. Have a good day in class.

Kyoko was bombarded by her classmates as soon as she took her seat. All of them talked excitedly at once. She had no clue what was going on until one of them pointed out her picture in a magazine for the R'Mandy fall collection. She was highlighted in the photo while Ren was a distance away. He was out of focus but it was still obvious that the model was him. She leaned against the railing and rested her chin in her hand. She bit her index finger as she contemplated the man walking toward her.

Her classmates talked incessantly about her clothes, makeup and overall how gorgeous she looked. Idol boys that never gave her the time of day struck up a conversation with her. They seemed to have forgotten that they never paid her any mind in the past. She didn't like their attention. She couldn't help but feel that they were only being nice because she was a little relevant and because Ren was her partner. She shook off these negative feelings and remembered the chat with her friends. She listened closely to what her fellow celebrity classmates said. They were complimenting her work in the piece and not merely focusing on Ren. Perhaps, maybe, they really are looking at her. She readjusted her mind and began responding appreciatively. After all, a celebrity was nothing without fans, especially a newbie like her.

By the time Yashiro picked her up, she declined three confessions and dealt with a couple of jealous senior girls tampering with her footlocker. Too bad for them, she had lots of practice with this amateur stuff. Naa-chan screamed to have a go at them.

"Rough day?" He asked as she slumped into the back seat, her perfect posture was forgotten. She told him about the attention she received at school because of the R'mandy photos.

He chuckled. "That's to be expected."

She grumbled about the confessions she received.

"I don't understand how boys can be so shallow. They didn't know I existed until those photos."

Yashiro cringed. "Unfortunately, that's how this industry works. One day you're in, the next day you're out." Ren, the world is starting to notice your hidden princess.

As they drove through downtown, Kyoko was astonished to find her face along with Ren's plastered everywhere: on digital displays on the side of bus stops, but most of all on the giant LED screens on buildings at the heart of Tokyo for all to see. Those screens pictured the Emperor. Right beside him was her image with golden flirtatious eyes, smirking red lips, and hand clenching the tie undone around his neck as he inhaled her hair with his eyes closed. Kyoko covered her face in embarrassment. How could she look so seductive? Natsu and Setsu were the sexy ones, not her.

Following Ren's eyes as they drove passed, she was reminded of what transpired this morning. Her face was now an inferno. She managed to get through her school day because she acted as the model student and never broke character. The lectures and classmates had kept her mind grounded; otherwise, she would have melted into a puddle of a mess right from the get-go.

Yashiro broke up her thoughts, "You and Ren were all the buzz wherever we went. The paparazzi followed him around all day. Naturally, his typical 'no comment' infuriated them. I won't be surprised if your offers increased after this."

Kyoko hummed her response. She kept her face looking out the window to keep Yashiro from noticing her burning face.

"Also, Fuji-san would like you to visit his studio for a final fitting of your dress. The awards show is fast approaching. I can't wait to see your beauty grace the red carpet." He gushed. "The crowd, Ren included, would be speechless that night."

The excitement over the dress Fuji conjured up for her managed to consume her mind. She couldn't wait to try it on again. According to Fuji's expert opinion, it looked sexy and cute at the same time on her. If she concentrated on the details of its fabrication she could skirt by an hour until she needed another topic to fixate on. Any other topic but him.

"By the way, Kyoko-chan, is your phone off? I believe Ren was trying to reach you earlier."

Kyoko felt her resolve crumble as her astute manager brought her attention back to him.

"Ehhh?" Kyoko fumbled for her phone and sure enough, it was off. The battery was dead. She forgot to plug it in last night to charge because she...No, don't go there Kyoko.

"Yashiro-san, can I please use your phone to call Ren? My battery is dead."

Ren checked his phone for the millionth time that day. He let out a melancholy sigh; no new messages or missed calls. It was out of character for her not to respond to him. Even in her most uncomfortable state in the past, she always returned his call out of proprietary. This was really bad for her to blatantly ignore him. He kept distracted from his thoughts while he worked but during long breaks like this one, images of this morning floated through his mind.

She felt real wrapped in his arms with his morning wood nestled against her firm behind. He licked and nibbled on the lobe of the woman he loved while his hand caressed her breast. With her eyes still closed, she turned towards him and threw a thigh over his hip then circled his neck with her arms pulling him closer.

He hooked a hand around her knee and pulled her in. He groaned in ecstasy as he rubbed his throbbing cock against her. She rocked against him closing her mouth over his. This was by far the most delightful dream he ever had. Their tongues mated slowly in a seductive dance. He lingered there enjoying the taste of her for a few moments then kissed his way to her neck alternating between nipping and sucking at the smooth column. She threw her head back to give him better access while her hips rocked to the slow rhythm he set. The little sounds she made threatened to undo him. He growled against her skin as she quivered in his arms.

Even in his dream, he was a masochist. To prolong his torture, he pulled his body away from the warmth of hers since he was on the verge of having a wet dream of his own. He trailed soft kisses down the length of her neck to her collar bone and slowly down her chest. She nearly came off the bed when his mouth closed over her breast. He found her nipple with his mouth and through her tank top he sucked at her mound using his tongue to slowly work her nipple hard. His other hand was softly caressing her other breast rolling her nipple between his index finger and thumb, tweaking occasionally. She arched her back and let out a low erotic moan that increased his desire.

Kuon was delighted to find that Dream Kyoko's breasts were very sensitive. With each lick, each suck, and each flick she writhed and mewled beneath him. If touching her through her shirt did this much he could only imagine how she would react without the barrier. He rolled up her shirt baring her breasts to him.

His eyes darkened as he took in the sight of her porcelain skin and rosy tips. He leaned down and sucked her breast into his mouth. Her reaction was instantaneous as she bucked her hips and dug one of her hands into his scalp holding him captive against her. It was painful but it only made him want to please her even more.

A hand slid its way down to the cleft between her legs. Even outside her pants, he could feel her wet heat. He stroked the entrance of her core and used the heel of his hand to press against her sensitive mound. Above him, he heard her gasp and she bucked into his hand. His tongue continued to roll over her hardened peak while his free hand flicked her other nipple. She finally released her hold on his head allowing him to lift up and gaze at her. Her head flared side to side and her fingers clawed into the sheets. Her reaction was so honest it was breathtaking. He could tell she was close as her shallow breathing and loud moans filled his ears. He never let up even when she was screaming his name and convulsing beneath him from the strength of her release.

"Oh, God," she said smiling blissfully down at him. Her lusty eyes blinked rapidly and then opened wide in horror.

"Oh my God!"

Kuon pulled off her breast with a pop. Confusion over her outburst settled over him. He knew in his mind that his expression of horror matched hers as realization dawned on him. In a blink of an eye, he darted off the bed like it was on fire. His chest heaved as the enormity of what just transpired between them finally clicked in his mind. His hands moved quickly to desperately cover his erection from her.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" Kyoko screamed as she ran out of his room yanking her shirt down in the process.

Ren hung his head in shame. In a flash, his delectable dream turned out to be a waking nightmare. The erotic dreams that plagued him for so long had probably just cost him the woman he loved. She slipped into his bed in the middle of the night and managed to fall asleep in his arms with no regard for the danger. There was no one else to blame but himself. How could he have been so stupid? He needed to make this right somehow. He couldn't lose her. Not now, not after they were finally together. He would start with an apology even if it was a lie. He didn't think she would appreciate a sorry, not sorry from him right now. He loved every fucking minute of it and judging from her reaction, she did too.

He had chased after her only to have her slam her bathroom door in his face. He could hear her incoherent muttering from behind the door. It somewhat relieved him. She was adorable when flustered. He decided to leave her alone for now and pray she didn't leave while he cleaned himself up.

In his bathroom, he chuckled wryly after discovering his pants sticky with pre-come. It was ridiculous that he was still painfully hard when he stepped into the shower. He closed his eyes and let the cold spray help him focus. His eyes flashed open when he heard the echo of her moans loud and clear in his head. The cold water was absolutely useless. He stared down, willing his little head to shrink. He had endured almost a year and even survived the few weeks with her as the Heels. Why couldn't it obey him? He sighed in defeat and reached for the soap. There was only one sure way he could remedy this problem. He worked the soap into a lather over his length. He closed his eyes and let the images of her wash over him as he stroked himself. The memory of her writhing under him was enough to bring him to climax quickly. Biting his fist to keep his voice down, he exploded in his hand as he recalled her expression when she came.

She had locked herself in her room until it was time to leave. He thanked the Gods that she was still in the apartment when he came out of the shower. The threat that he was only drinking coffee for breakfast was not enough to coax her out to face him. It was only when he told her Yashiro was here that she came out. He felt like scum when she wouldn't look him in the eye. Since there was no hiding from him in the confined space of the elevator, he tried to broach the topic. She vehemently refused to discuss it. He kept silent after that since he was agitating her. She just needed time.

The knock on his dressing room door startled him back to the present. It was time to get back to work. He looked at his phone one last time and returned to the set with a heavy heart.

Kyoko was relieved she got his voicemail. She apologized for missing his calls and explained that her phone battery died. She paused and glanced at Yashiro. He had to be straining to eavesdrop on the call. She wanted to say more but hung up instead. She would call him later at home. Yashiro's crestfallen face in the reflection of the mirror made Kyoko giggle despite her conflicting emotions.

When they arrived at the Sacred Lotus set, many complimented her on a job well done with the R'Mandy ads. After greeting everyone, Kyoko entered her dressing room and found three different deliveries waiting for her. The first gift was an adorable stuffed animal with a small box of chocolate-dipped strawberries. The card read: Please forgive me my Princess, love Corn.

The second was a large bouquet of a dozen gorgeous deep red roses. Kyoko smiled and inhaled the sweet scent of the flowers before opening the card. She had a hunch of the sender. Please forgive me my Princess, love Ren.

The third was a gift bag from a posh department store. Kyoko removed the tissue paper from the bag and reached in to pull out its contents. It contained a box of perfume. But it wasn't any ordinary perfume. It was Odette! The designer perfume she gushed over that reminded her of the Swan Princess. Please forgive me my Princess, love K.

Kyoko let out a shaky laugh as she looked over the different gifts. What did the staff think when they were delivered? She hid the cards in her bag and hoped no one read them. She felt like she was stringing along three men. What was the silly guy thinking?

Her behavior this morning probably made him think she was upset with him. She was incredibly embarrassed by her actions and couldn't muster the courage to face him. She felt terrible now since the gifts were underserved and he spent so much money on her. She should be the one apologizing, not him. This morning was entirely her fault. She had impurely inserted herself into his bed last night. It didn't help matters that she thought she was having another one of her sexually charged dreams with him. She was sure she made the first move.

She buried her face in her hands ashamed of her hypocrisy. She just told her friends that she wasn't ready to get intimate with him and here she was unable to stop when things became heated. What she failed to tell them was that not only was she afraid that he would find her boring but he would also find her lacking physically. She didn't have the curves that men preferred on a woman. She was able to play young Kuon so easily because her body was suited more for a boy. She thought if he saw her, he would be disappointed.

And then the worse happened. With the dim light filtering in from the slits of the curtain, she saw the horror in his brilliant green eyes. It terrified her that if she could see him, he too could see her. His expression pierced her heart. The thought that he was disgusted by her lack of sex appeal instantly crossed her mind at that moment. It was only now after receiving his apologies that she once again might have misunderstood him.

She sighed loudly, glad that Yashiro wasn't in the room yet. It gave her time to sort her jumbled thoughts. The saying old habits die hard was indeed true in her case.

Her first instinct of self-preservation was to run and hide from him in the bathroom. In her state of panic, she was able to ignore him on the other side of the door. She stared at her reflection and marveled at the red splotches on her face, neck, and chest.

In her dressing room, she fingered the dark spot on her neck hidden beneath the cover of makeup. Her fingers glided down her blouse to where she knew another spot existed on her breast. Moisture pooled between her legs as her perverted feelings from earlier danced through her mind. She shuddered at the euphoric memory his hand gave her. She took a cold shower that morning hoping it would calm her down. It barely helped.

Kyoko was saved from her unsavory thoughts by the knock on her door. Yashiro entered the room with the makeup artist and hairstylist to get started on her Momiji transformation.

"Wow, Kyoko-san you're very popular today," the makeup artist commented. The set was buzzing about her photos with Ren.

Yashiro admired the trio of gifts. His lack of response gave Kyoko the impression that he was aware they were from Ren.

...

Koga flagged down Kyoko when she finally arrived on the set. She greeted Koga and Asahina, the actress playing Chidori, while they waited for the director's instructions.

"Ah Kyoko-chan, it looks like Japan is taking notice of you! I was very surprised to wake up to your gorgeous face on every corner of my lovely city. Has he been taking good care of you?" Koga teased. The crimson bloomed instantly over Momiji's natural makeup.

Koga chuckled at her embarrassment. Judging from that response things must be progressing well with them. They won't be able to hide their relationship for too long. He thought about tipping off the tabloids but something like that could easily ruin the budding relationship. He wanted to get them together, not split them apart.

He decided to prod her a little more just for fun. "Perhaps if you find him inadequate, I can always take his place."

"Hiromune-san, I assure you. You're not necessary. He's more than capable!" she responded, taking the bait. She covered her mouth horrified by what she revealed. She looked around hoping no one else heard. Asahina giggled at her expense.

Koga raised his eyebrows at her innocently. "Well, if it doesn't work out you can always come to this Onii-san. These arms will gladly take care of you."

He laughed when she folded her arms haughtily. She made this too easy. "I noticed you're still receiving presents from various men. At least there was one from him this time."

Kyoko blanched at him, she hoped he didn't find out they were all from the same person. She needed Ren to be more careful lest his secret got out.

...

"Cut!" Director Morizumi called out. "Kyoko-san, something is a bit off. Although you're still acting out the feelings of unrequited love, you're not hiding your despair as expected of Momiji's character. The expressions you are giving are wonderful but they should come as the film progresses."

Kyoko bowed and apologized. They had been filming for the past three hours, this was the last scene that the Director wanted to accomplish today. She managed to complete the action scenes flawlessly but now that it came to the scenes with quiet emotion she was struggling to get a grip on Momiji's feelings.

Kyoko closed her eyes to regain her composure. She clenched her fist to her chest and thought, I am Momiji. Her eyebrow twitched as horror-filled green eyes flashed in her mind.

She shook her head vigorously to clear her thoughts. I am a trained assassin living for only one man. This time a sexy smirk danced across her closed lids. She ignored it. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly invoking the meditation technique of Hiou's grandfather. She could hear the stern old man's voice echoing in her head as he drilled the ninja creed into her.

I am Momiji!

Finally, Kyoko regained a grip on her character. She executed the scene flawlessly as Director Morizumi expected. She reverted to the time when she hid her feelings from Ren. With that life experience vivid in her mind, she was able to grasp Momiji again. Her relationship status with him had changed which unfortunately changed Momiji's feelings. It was painful but she went back to her state of mind before he confessed in order to get the scene right. Once she had a handle on Momiji's feelings, her old unrequited feelings, the rest of the filming progressed without any major hitches.

He gazed at the beauty holding a bouquet of roses as she walked the short distance from the main street to the rear entrance of the building. His chest constricted at the thought that he might have lost her. He admired her natural grace and committed her every move to memory like it was his last seeing her. She stopped when she was close to the door and turned. She waved down the street. It was only then that he noticed her manager waited until that moment to drive off. As luck would have it, the alley was too crowded tonight for the car to come down at this hour. The Gods had not forsaken him completely. This was his chance. He stepped out from the shadows to intercept her before she went inside.

"Kuon!" She screamed as she grabbed her chest in fright. After the initial shock wore off, she appeared relieved to see him. That had to be another good sign.

"What are you doing skulking in the shadows?" She exclaimed. "You nearly scared me to death!"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the shadows. "I'm sorry, baby. I had to see you. I became delirious when I didn't hear from you all day. If you have to tie my hands up at night just to feel safe around me then I'm willing to do it. Just please don't say that it's ov-."

...

Kyoko grabbed his shirt before he could finish and crushed her lips against his smothering his words. She caught him by surprise but he didn't hesitate. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted. He kissed her as desperately as she kissed him.

She realized she overreacted this morning due to her embarrassment. The look he gave her wasn't because he found her unflattering; it was because his actions alone filled him with guilt. There was nothing wrong with being touched or touching the one you treasured the most, even outside of your dreams.

"I only just found you," she confessed when they broke for air. "There's no way I'm giving you up!"

"I'm so glad," Kuon said with relief and buried his face in her neck.

AN: So I was writing this on my phone and got an error when I tried to save and of course lost half of what I wrote. I hope I was able to salvage my intentions and that the flow wasn't too confusing since I kept jumping around.

Thanks again for reading and big thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate all feedback, it's encouraging.

I have an early flight in the AM and I'll try to use the travel time to work on the next chapter.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^