Chapter 45: Nightmares

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kyoko would be suffering from sexual frustration.

He was relieved to find her sleeping on the couch. Like the phantom he portrayed, he stealthily walked into the main room, removed his coat, and sank to his knees in front of her. Guilt washed over him. Even though they had a late morning today, he knew she didn't sleep well because of him. First, he had selfishly taken her in the shower the night before if one would call grinding against her as such. The sound of her voice begging to be turned around continued to ring clear in his head. He knew that if he saw her face in the throes of passion his last remains of control would splinter. Then, he had woken her up with his nightmares. Kuon had been doing better since she moved in, but something was prompting the dreams again. Was it because of Cain or was it the terrifying idea of facing Rick again, even if it was just his headstone?

Feigning sleep, he remembered being lulled back into a dreamless slumber by her beautiful voice. He had squeezed her tight when he heard her trying to suppress her tears. He hated himself for making her cry for him. This morning he tried to get her to talk because he couldn't ignore her red eyes. She told him that she was just restless because of her upcoming interview and couldn't sleep well. He figured it wasn't a total lie and left it at that. Since she was fine the rest of the morning, he let her be. He had caught the interview on his phone and thought she did wonderfully. He didn't like how close she sat to Cedric, but couldn't fault her for caring. The guy seemed to have changed but Kuon would remain wary of him. He couldn't let years of torment go overnight.

He studied the angelic face sleeping before him, so soft and smooth. Worry filled him as he thought about the backlash she would experience if her role as Setsu was exposed. He didn't want people thinking that Kyoko was anything like Setsu in her everyday life. Now that they were in a relationship, they could easily play off the public displays of affection as Lory suggested. No matter the outcome, Kuon would be there to protect her.

He brushed the back of his knuckles across her cheek in a gentle caress then dragged his index finger against her pouty red lips. His fingers trailed down the side of her long porcelain neck leaving a streak of red lipstick on her skin. He paused as her eyelids fluttered but did not open. His hand ran over her collar bone down the top of her chest and over the mounds that her corseted top pushed up. His cock twitched inside the tight leather pants. The feel of his tip catching against the seam painfully brought him to his senses. He needed to be Cain right now. He hung his head in shame trying to get a grip on himself and get back into character. It didn't take him long to become Cain again. His head shot up at the sound of her shifting in front of him.

"Mmm, Kuon," A lustful sigh escaped her parted lips while she dozed. Every muscle in Cain's body tensed. His baby sister was talking in her sleep. Setsu shifted her legs and her hand slipped down to cup between her thighs. The patent leather miniskirt made it easy access for her. He bared his teeth when her tiny pink tongue flicked out to wet her lips.

Cain became livid as he realized that his little sister just called out another man's name in her sleep. He tried to look away but his eyes lingered on her gloved hand rubbing at her center. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Kuon," she moaned again, sending grasping for sanity.

Kuon knew his way of thinking was completely fucked if he was getting jealous over himself, but right now Cain's little sister was having an erotic dream and he wasn't in it, technically.

He knew it was Kyoko's subconscious dreaming of him touching her, but he was struggling to stay in character. He had to wake her up but damn her moans were making him so fucking hard. This is the test! Lory wanted them to take this first night together so they could work on getting back into their roles. He even reserved them a room with two separate beds. An obvious sign that he wanted them to play by the rules of siblings. He contemplated pulling up a chair and letting this play out. She would never know that he was here, watching her like a sick pervert.

What would Cain do? He knew what Kuon and Ren would do? Either one of them would be ripping her panties off right now, suckling her, stroking her, licking her. Fuck! He needed to stop. His dick was threatening to rip through his tight leather pants. He was Cain right now. He needed to think like Cain. Right now she was Cain's sweet baby sister dreaming of another man. He swore not more than ten minutes ago that no man would ever have her.

Kuon tried to push through the surface as he reached for his phone hoping to get a video of this gorgeous creature pleasuring herself. Cain squashed that idea fast.

Ah, fuck! He covered his face and peeked through his fingers. She was now sucking on one of her fingers. Her pink little tongue flicked and twirled around her digit like it was the most delicious thing she ever tasted. He thought he would come when her panting increased and her lust-filled voice reached his ears, "Kuon...harder...ugh...please don't stop...God, yes!"

Seriously! How good was this guy?

Cain had reached his limit. He had rushed here and she wasn't even paying any attention to him. "Setsu! Wake up!" He growled through gritted teeth.

Setsu's movements halted. Her blue eyes fluttered open but were glassy from sleep. She was startled to find a shadow looming over her. The room was dim. The only source of light came from the hall casting an eerie glow into the main room. In her sleep-induced state, she did what any other sane girl would do; however, it was so unlike Setsu, she screamed at the top of her lungs! The man was quick. His hand clamped down over her mouth. The thundering sound of her beating heart filled her ears as terror seized her rendering her tiny force of grudges useless. It was the Kmiko incident all over again. She kicked and struggled like a banshee as tears pricked the corner of her eyes. There was no way she would make it easy for this man. She tore at her attacker, her nails digging into flesh as she scratched. All her training as Momiji went out of the window as fear gripped her. He was big and he was strong. It took her a minute to register that he was speaking to her over the pounding of her heart.

"Shhh, it's just me. It's me, baby," Kuon cooed into her ear rocking her in his arms. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't mean to scare you." He held her tightly and pelted her with soft kisses. He felt like such a shit.

Kyoko finally calmed down once she realized her assailant was Kuon. She overreacted and lost her hold of Setsu. She would have automatically known it was her brother. Kyoko berated herself. She should have known instantly that it was Kuon even if she was sleeping in an unknown place.

"Nii-san, you jerk. Why did you scare me like that?" Setsu whined. She beat on his chest with her small fists getting into her role again.

"Setsu, it breaks my heart that you think I'm scary. Anyone else but you," Cain sulked. Kyoko felt her heart lurch as she struggled to regain her hold on Setsu. She had a feeling he was talking more about himself than Cain.

"Silly, Nii-san, I'm never afraid of you. I know you would never hurt me. I feel the safest in your arms," she assured him and burrowed further into her brother's embrace. Cain tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I was having a nightmare so it may have lingered when I woke." She ducked her face as a deep blush bloomed on her cheeks. She hoped she didn't give anything away while she was sleeping. She couldn't tell him that she was having an erotic dream of him, well, of Kuon. Even though they were intimate most nights, she still couldn't help dreaming of them making love.

"A nightmare, huh?" Cain replied, trying to keep the smirk out of his voice. If this was the angle she wanted to take, he would go along with it. He would take his sexual frustration out on her when this play was over.

"The boogeyman has nothing on you, but I think we need to work on your defensive skills. At least emotionally, so it would help you keep calm during high-stress situations. All that training you do is a waste if you forget it when you panic."

Setsu felt like a little girl again being scolded. She hated it when he treated her like one but he was right after all. It seemed like he was raising the bar on her role as Setsu again. He was implying that Setsu was skilled in martial arts.

"I'll teach you how to recognize the danger and stay calm so you can properly react to certain situations."

Setsu gave a small nod into his chest. He was probably thinking about the incident with Kimiko as well tonight. Would she have been better prepared to take on Kimiko after the auditions if she was in a calm state of mind? She had sensed something in the hallway before Kimiko and her manager had accosted her. Would he be able to help her increase her awareness and reaction time to avoid potential attacks? She was willing to give it a try.

His martial arts skills were top notch. When those thugs had attacked him on their first night out in Tokyo, Cain had managed to dodge several blows to his head by sensing his opponent's attacks from behind. At the time, she wondered if he had eyes in the back of his head. She didn't think much of his training or the discipline it took to be able to read an enemy like that back then because she was panicking. If she would have stayed calm, could she have done more to defuse the situation? Her poor attempt to help him only escalated the matter. Cain nearly killed the guy after she was thrown down. With her training now as Momiji, she could easily disarm that seaweed haired bastard.

"Go and freshen up. I did promise you a date." He tilted her face up to his by the chin. He wanted to make sure she was okay. Her eyes shown with excitement at the prospect of spending time with her brother. He released her when he was satisfied that no lingering fear lurked in her eyes.

"Oh shit," she exclaimed when she finally got a good look at him. He had distinct scratches down the side of his neck. She looked down at her hand and could make out the flesh beneath her nails. She jumped off of him and disappeared into the bathroom. She returned holding a warm washcloth. He hissed when she gently dabbed the cloth at his wound. The skin was broken in a few spots drawing blood but for the most part, it was just irritated.

"I'm so sorry, Nii-san. I didn't mean to hurt you," she said trying desperately to hold on to Setsu, but her emotions were overwhelming. How could she have done this to him?

Cain grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.

"I've had worse, Setsu. This is nothing," he assured her. "I deserved this and more for scaring you. I'm sorry I scared you."

"It's not fine," she pouted. It was unforgivable that she hurt his beautiful body. She pulled away from him and rummaged through her bags searching for the first aid kit she had packed as a precaution. She hated that they would need for her carelessness. His blue eyes focused on her every move as she gently cleaned the wound with disinfectant and applied the antibiotic ointment.

"Setsu, I'll take any brand you want to give me, be it love bites or scratches. If they're from you, I'll wear it proudly," Cain confessed. I would much prefer her scratches down my back, Kuon added.

Setsu blushed. "Stupid, Nii-san. Care about yourself a little sometimes."

"Are you done?"

Setsu nodded and moved to clean up the mess she made it.

"I'll do. Go and get cleaned up. There's somewhere I want to take you."

Kimiko entered the French cafe with Cedric. She had been wanting to try it since they opened. It took several tries to convince Cedric to take her since he was too busy filming. Mon Amour Cafe had received great reviews so she wanted to try it. The feedback touted that it was an excellent place for couples to go on a date. Naturally, she wanted to go with the person she liked.

She studied the decor as they waited to be seated. It wasn't her taste despite her outward appearance. She gave off this cute, princess aura whenever she was in public so this place fit the persona she was projecting. The only person that knew her true personality was her former manager, her cousin. She even managed to hide it from her immediate family. She did slip and give her Uncle Jouji the guilt trip when she didn't get the part of Momiji. She glanced at Cedric, if he knew, he didn't mention it.

Kimiko hid her irritation behind a sweet smile as the hostess showed them to their table. Walking down the hall, Kimiko stopped as a couple of portraits on the wall caught her eye.

Cedric turned around when he noticed her not with them and walked back towards her. He gazed at the picture she was staring at so intently. "Hey well, what do you know. It's Kyoko and Tsuruga." He spoke in English so he didn't bother referring to them with honorifics.

The hostess noticed she was alone and circled back to them. Kimiko addressed her and asked, "Why are these pictures on the wall?"

"Oh. It's because Kyoko-san and Tsuruga-san did the CM for the cafe before it opened. It has already aired so you should have seen it on TV."

"What?" Kimiko couldn't help the stupefied expression that crossed her face.

" Kyoko-san and the head chef are good friends now. Chef-san told us that she has great culinary skills of her own. They've dined in here several times since the filming. Thanks to them the place is always busy," the hostess explained with admiration in her voice.

Kimiko struggled to keep the scowl off her face. She suddenly lost all luster to eat at the same place as that girl. She turned to Cedric, "Ric, maybe we should find another place to eat."

"Don't be silly. You practically dragged me here. We're here now so let's just order." Cedric replied showing his obvious irritation. He had no clue what her deal was with Kyoko. So she lost a part, it happens! A good actress gets over it and moves on. A talented one, like Kimiko, doesn't just up and quit. He had a feeling there was more to the story that she wasn't sharing. He wasn't buying the whole I want to focus on my studies excuse one bit. He didn't push for answers because he didn't want to get too involved.

He told Kimiko when he first arrived in Tokyo that he wasn't looking for a relationship. She seemed mature about it and agreed to be friends. He probably should have never slept with her back in LA while he was wallowing in self-pity. He was surprised to find she was still a virgin, the dots of blood on his sheets was proof, right? She had never said anything to him. He would never have gone that far if he knew for one her age and two that he was her first. He avoided virgins like the plague. It was common that when you deflower a virgin they started to get clingy and demanding.

Kimiko, however, proved the exception. She hadn't changed and they had grown closer as friends. Well, that's not true. She had slipped a few times around Kyoko. He guessed she noticed him pulling away from her that she changed back to the sweet and demure girl he adored whenever they hung out. Of course, he had not slept with her since either. He gave her some bullshit excuse that she should cherish herself a little more and find a man that could love her properly. Once Lotus wrapped he would be heading back home. His father, in the end, paid Viola to go away. He hoped Kimiko didn't follow him back either and cause trouble. He didn't want an out of the pot and into the fire type of situation with her. His dad would kill him.

To save face Kimiko smiled and resumed following the hostess to the table. After about fifteen minutes, Cedric regretted his decision to stay. It was this night that Cedric realized that Kimiko had a knack for twisting her words around so that the other party felt at fault. She had managed to complain but not complain throughout every course of the meal. Cedric saw no fault in the food. Everything was delicious, so her behavior was mind-boggling.

The head Chef even came out hoping to rectify her experience, but nothing he prepared seemed to please Kimiko. At the end of dinner, the Chef ended up comping their meals since he couldn't satisfy her taste buds.

The Heel siblings walked down the street as one. Anyone watching them wouldn't have known where one began and the other ended. Cain had his leather coat arm draped possessively over her shoulder. Setsu had her arm secured around his waist while her other hand was interlaced with the hand on her shoulder. Pedestrians gave the dangerous-looking foreigners wide berth when they came across their path. The siblings were so engrossed with one another that they took no notice of anyone else as they walked. Setsu had no idea where they were heading. Her brother would give her no clues wanting to keep it a surprise. Since this might be their last night to have fun in Japan, he thought he would spoil her a bit.

A young Japanese woman and a foreign man exited a cafe in front of their path. The woman was too intent on her grumblings about the lousy service and the even lousier food that she failed to notice the dark couple and bumped into the shoulder of Cain. She turned doe eyes up to Cain to apologize for her rudeness. She took a trembling step backward instead as she noticed the disdain burning in Cain's eyes. The look Cain gave her was that of someone even lower than a cockroach.

"Oh, pardon me. I..." she began but her voice caught when she saw Cain's expression. Kimiko wondered why this total stranger was looking at her like she was some loathsome creature.

Cain assumed no one had ever looked at the prissy woman in such a way before by her shocked expression. This pampered princess probably had people fawning over her to do her bidding all over the place. He hated that type the most.

"Jeez, I thought all Japanese were polite. Apologize properly," Setsu demanded, annoyed that this bitch dare touch what was hers. Kyoko screamed internally. Of all the millions of people living in Tokyo, they just had to run into Kimiko. She reminded herself to stay cool. She was Setsu right now. This was the ultimate test.

Kimiko glared at the petite blonde. Her outfit was so outlandish for Japan. Her leather mini-skirt showed off her long shapely legs and her cropped top exposed her toned midriff. Even with all the piercings, Kimiko could not help but admit that she was gorgeous. She had to be a model with the way she carried herself. Kimiko didn't know why but this girl pissed her off.

"Hey, easy. The lady is trying to apologize. She didn't mean to bump into you," Cedric butted in addressing the Cain.

Cain sneered at the couple and said "whatever" with an I don't give two fucks kind of attitude and began to walk away. Kuon wasn't going to be Cain forever so as much as he wanted to take advantage of his disguise he did not doubt in his mind that whatever they did tonight would backfire. The thought of apologizing to these two assholes when the jig was finally up, turned his stomach.

"Setsu, let's go. This place doesn't suit you," Cain stated as she eyed the cafe through the window.

"You're right brother. This place reeks of pretty princess shit. Makes me want to gag." Setsu wrapped herself around her brother again as they headed down the street. She hoped her little insult wouldn't be heard by Jean-Luc.

Cedric stared with relief as the British couple walked away. That could have gone horribly wrong, fast. She called him brother though. Were they siblings? Wasn't that against the law or was it different in other countries? He wasn't familiar with the laws there. He recalled that aristocrats would often marry within the family to keep their bloodlines pure. Perhaps it wasn't frowned upon in their country. To each their own. Love always finds a way.

Cedric frowned as he watched the couple retreat in the distance. Something about that man's sneer conjured up images from his past. He felt a shiver run down his spine and tried to shake it off. No sense dwelling on the past. He tried to put his crappy adolescent self out of his mind. He didn't have anything against other races, he just couldn't stand that guy back then. He had no clue where that guy went after the accident, Cedric just knew his attitude and acting significantly improved since he was gone.

"Here, Setsu. Let's go in here." Cain said, stopping them in front of a shop. They had turned down a corner and walked a few more blocks from the cafe. She was relieved that their mission wasn't compromised.

Setsu arched an eyebrow at her brother. "Nii -san, if you think a shop like this is going to sell food you're sorely mistaken."

AN: I apologize for the cliffhanger. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. I wanted Cain/Ren/Kuon/Corn to catch her in the act so he could witness her erotic dreams. I will be continuing their little date in the next chapter. As much as I wanted Setsu and Cain to torture Kimiko and Cedric, I realized that there would be consequences when all is revealed.

Thank you for continuing to read. Big thanks to those that reviewed the last chapter. They stirred a few ideas in my limited imagination pot. I appreciate it!

Until next time, ja ne ! ^_^