Chapter 123: Misprint

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Kuon and Kyoko would be going to America.

She stood beside him waiting for their turn in line to enter the airplane. She spent so much time leaning against a pillar just watching him. He looked like a mythical creature she happened upon. Instead of woods, she had to make her way through a throng of people to get a glimpse of him. It wasn't after the area started filling up that she made her move before someone sat next to him. It was considered rude to place a bag on a perfectly good seat. It kept others from sitting.

They never discussed whether they were supposed to know each other. She took the fact that he saved the seat beside him as a good sign. She thought it would be cute if she approached him as a stranger. With her changed hairstyle and low hat, she managed to re-enter the world of obscurity. She was dressed comfortably in a blush-colored maxi-skirt and a fitted tee. She was taking more care of her appearance these days whenever she left the apartment. With all the paparazzi tailing her, she made sure she was camera-ready; however since she would be in a plane the whole time she felt no need to wear makeup except for gloss. Long flights tended to dry out the skin so she kept her face moisturized. She did remember to carry on her makeup bag. She didn't want to look dreadful when she finally met his mother for the first time.

Kyoko could hardly contain her excitement as she got closer to him. She could see the care Ten put into restoring his natural look. It was similar to his Kuon wig but it was so much more knowing that it was his real strands. She couldn't wait to run her fingers through the fine-spun gold. She was a bit disappointed that his long hair was gone. The image of him with long blonde tresses nearly made her nosebleed. Combine that with his dazzling emerald eyes, he was sure to cause heart failure to not only her but many.

The look on his face made her nervous when she first asked to sit. He didn't reply and just stared. Did she look that bad? She didn't wear makeup at home and it never stopped him from treating her like the most beautiful woman on the planet. Was it presumptuous of her to assume that he would acknowledge her looking so plain in public?

He finally flashed her that devilishly boyish grin that always managed to melt her heart and the relief was instantaneous. He still didn't answer her nor move his bag inviting her to sit so she tried again.

"May I sit?" She asked cutely with more confidence. Still nothing. She looked up nervously around her. Was she bringing needless attention to them? Did she look desperate for trying to sit next to this gorgeous foreigner?

"Kyoko, I need your ticket and passport," Kuon told her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, sorry!" Kuon took the documents she held on the other hand not clasped in his.

"Enjoy your flight Mr. Hizuri, Ms. Morimoto." The attendant handed back their tickets and passports to Kuon.

"We will! Thank you very much! Have a wonderful day!" She squealed, giving the attendant a taste of her excitement.

They were finally going to America together, his homeland. She was going to meet his parents in the flesh and see the house he lived in. She was beyond excited.

...

Kuon tugged on her hand toward the jetway. The flight attendant waved them down the first left in the small hall. Another flight attendant at the entrance to the aircraft smiled and asked for their tickets. After a glance at their boarding passes, she waved Kuon down the nearest aisle and directed Kyoko across to another friendly flight attendant. Kuon smiled when she popped out of the state of the art galley kitchen of the first-class cabin across from him. They walked parallel to each other until both their respective attendants gestured to their seats.

The layout of this aircraft was different from anyone he flew in the past. Each seat was spacious and reminded him of a small office cubicle with the closed-in walls and the tops open. Kyoko giggled at him over the partition. He couldn't help the pitiful puppy dog expression etched on his face when he stepped into his seat. He felt like he was being caged and separated from his beloved owner, which he was.

Yashiro booked the seats together but it didn't matter if they were encased with their high walls. Even with his height, he could barely see over the walls while seated. He stared a hole through the short wall separating him from her. It was just like magic. He watched as first the top of her head came into view then her smiling face and upper body slowly appeared before him. The offending wall sunk into the frame like a car window.

Continuing to speak in English, Kyoko lifted a couple of sealed packages for him to look at. "Corn! They provide pajamas! It's organic cotton!" She whispered. "And...and...slippers"

Kuon watched her touch everything excitedly.

"This is a designer vanity kit! They even have lip balm."

Kuon raised an eyebrow when she froze and put the stuff back exactly the way she found it. He thought he understood her hesitation.

"It's all part of the package so don't hold back," he told her. Kyoko flashed him an awkward smile.

"Is this what it's like flying with you?"

Kuon laughed at her silly remark. "It's policy to provide first-class travel for any long haul flights exceeding six hours. Anything shorter would be business class. Yukihito is a genius at negotiating contracts."

"Me, too?" She asked incredulously, pointing a finger at herself. She glanced at all the amenities found in her room.

Kuon nodded with a laugh. "He had the foresight to include this in your contract as well. Otherwise, we would be sitting in the back of the plane instead."

"You mean me?"

"I mean us. Even if it meant giving up this cushy seat, I would never pass up an opportunity to sit next to you. However, right now I wish we were in the back. At least back there I wouldn't have this blasted wall keeping me from snuggling against you." Kuon pouted and began pressing random buttons. It was no use. No matter which one he pressed, the one-foot wide barrier remained between them.

"Good evening, Mr. Hizuri. Can I interest you in some freshly-squeezed orange juice or maybe a glass of champagne while you are waiting for boarding to complete."

Kuon glanced up at the flight attendant holding a tray in his direction. He declined but requested a glass of his usual cognac to help him relax during the flight. He looked over as Kyoko accepted a glass of orange juice from her attendant.

"Do you want to hang on to your passport or is it okay if I keep it with mine?'' He asked, holding up the contrasting little books once he received his drink. Since she was Japanese, her passport had a crimson cover while his, as a U.S. citizen, was blue.

Kyoko's eyes sparkled. She clasped her hands together as if in prayer. Kuon worried at her expression; he wasn't sure what caused it.

"Corn, when was your passport issued?"

Kuon looked at her puzzled. "It's a few years old. Not sure." It wasn't the same one he came to Japan with. "It was renewed before I made my debut here. Maybe, I was sixteen or seventeen."

Her golden eyes grew brighter and almost manic. It reminded him of a crazed fan.

"Could I please look at your passport? I want to see a teenage Kuon."

Kuon felt his heart drop. That would explain her overexcitement. His hesitation must have shown all over his face.

"Ah, I'm sorry to impose. Please ignore me." Kyoko smiled and busied herself with sipping the juice.

Kuon wanted to kick himself. This was not how he wanted to start their trip. "Please, never stop imposing on me." He handed over his passport.

"Yippee!" she said, clapping her hands together. She held it gingerly like it was the first edition of an old and rare book.

"I- it's not a good picture of me." He told her weakly. He knew she would be disappointed. He could barely look at himself in the mirror let alone take a decent picture. Rick's death was still fresh in his mind at that time. All he ever saw in the reflection was someone who killed his best friend.

"I highly doubt that." Kyoko opened the book slowly and flipped to the page with his picture. Kuon watched her reaction carefully.

Time ticked slowly as she quietly studied his picture. Her eyes filled with wonder as she roamed over the page.

"As I suspected. Corn is very beautiful," she finally whispered with a trembling chin. She squeezed her eyes shut. He could see the moisture pool on her long lashes. He should have expected that kind of response. He was too skinny and his eyes were dull and lifeless.

She took several deep breaths and blinked rapidly. He felt the change before he saw it. She was pissed. She lifted the book open to him and pointed at a spot with his identity details.

"Is this your real birthdate?!" She asked tersely.

Oh, fuck!

He could only nod sheepishly. She sat back in her seat and folded her arms. He could feel the anger radiating off her in waves.

He leaned closer and called to her softly. She refused to acknowledge him. She stared out her open doorway toward the window across the aisle shutting him out.

"I'm sorry, Kyoko." He sat there waiting for her to look at him. He would give her a few minutes before he jumped the space between their seats and squeezed in next to her. The back of the plane was still boarding and all the first-class passengers were engrossed in their own business. He doubted anyone would notice his complete lack of couth. Nevertheless, she only needed one.

Kuon's heart lurched when she finally turned sharp eyes toward him. He felt awful. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

Kuon rubbed the back of his neck, "I didn't mean to keep it from you." His voice dropped low into a whisper. "I've been him for so long...I just forgot."

Her rigid face that made her look so much like her mother softened and the warm look of love returned to her eyes. "I don't understand why you had to take it so far. The misprint?"

He reached for her hand, which she thankfully gave over easily.

"It wasn't a misprint. Boss submitted the profile without consulting me. He thought it was extreme too but I fought him on it. If I was going to make this work...really work. I needed to leave everything behind, including that date. If I had my way, I would have changed the month also. Changing the nine to zero was the easiest way to explain the mistake."

She sat there deep in thought. Kuon felt compelled to apologize again just to fill the silence.

"Next year I want to celebrate your birthday properly. You and me! Is that okay?" She asked anxiously.

He squeezed her hand happily. "I'll look forward to it," he said, flashing her one of his smiles she once told him came straight from heaven. He was relieved they were able to resolve this issue quickly. He was the luckiest guy in the world to have a woman so understanding and forgiving like her in his life.

"Do you have any other surprises for me?"

"One or two," he teased. His remark earned him a playful smack to the arm. Seeing her laugh again made it worth it. The tension from earlier evaporated completely.

She leaned forward to grab her phone out of her bag and handed it over to him. Kuon had the longest reach so they leaned in close together for a selfie. Afterward, he turned into her and kissed her lips. Even if he screwed up in the future, he hoped they could make up like this every time. She didn't know that he took another selfie of them kissing until he handed her back the phone. The red on her cheeks was so adorable.

The flight commenced with Kuon holding her hand. He usually declined food when flying and often opted to drink his way through a flight. It not only kept him "hydrated" but also left him able to tolerate his natural appearance. With Kyoko by his side, he couldn't get away with that nor did he want to. He was more comfortable in his skin now.

When the flight attendant came by Kuon agreed to all her suggestions. He knew that if he declined anything offered Kyoko would feel obligated to do the same. He didn't want her to miss out on any part of this experience. This was his first time enjoying the inflight meals. He could count this as another first with her. His uneasiness from eating so much without barely moving was worth it after seeing Kyoko's delight over each course. They served luxurious snacks, a gourmet dinner, and even two types of dessert. Kuon had to admit that airplane food was tasty but what was with the quantity. They were fed almost every hour. He was grateful when Kyoko started declining stuff first.

When everything settled and the cabin grew quiet, he looked at Kyoko. She was deeply engrossed with her debut script. He was glad it turned out to be the book Seiji's assistant gave him. He already began researching his character weeks ago. It was probably cheating but he planned to help Kyoko with her lines. He would utilize all his resources to get the part that he wanted.

He stifled his laugh when she nodded off then sprung back up to continue reading. Kuon stretched across and reached for her hand to gain her attention. She smiled and closed the script. He tugged her hand pulling her closer. He leaned over easily and kissed her lips. The doors to their compartments were now closed shutting them in. The only way for someone to see them is if they were standing in the aisle. It was quite convenient except for the damn barricade between them.

Kyoko kissed him back eagerly. She took the moment of having him leaning over into her space to thread her fingers through his silky hair. Kuon laughed against her lips and laid his forehead on hers.

Kyoko stared back into his brilliant green eyes. "Your hair is beautiful. It feels so silky. Muse-sama is a magician."

"Your hair feels nice too," he complimented rolling the dark brown strands of her shoulder-length hair between his fingers.

"Oh, so you've finally noticed?" she said with a cute pout.

"I was waiting for the right moment to compliment you. It's a different color from what you dyed it previously."

"The stylist said I was a dirty brunette now," she said, shaking her head back and forth. The cabin lights glinted off her caramel highlights. "I'm still on the fence about my hair being called dirty."

Kuon chuckled and brought his face down to inhale the sweet fragrance of her hair. "Ambrosia," he whispered into her ear. He had the pleasure of seeing her shiver from just one word. He moved his lips over to kiss her again but she pulled away slightly.

Her gaze made him feel heady or maybe it was the booze. One glass of cognac and some sake with dinner wasn't enough to make him feel intoxicated. What was she thinking to stare at him like that?

"I'm going to change into my pajamas," she said, turning from him.

Kuon was confused. Why so suddenly?

She pecked his lips and gathered her pajamas and toiletries. "You should change too, Corn," she said before stepping outside of her seat.

…

Kyoko couldn't get away fast enough. She released her control and felt her face flush red by her impure thoughts. He was excessively tempting in the privacy that "The Room" afforded them. As she walked toward the front of the jet, she had the tingling sensation of being watched. She glanced over her shoulder and caught him looking at her. She smiled shyly and walked quicker. She passed, unnoticed, by the galley kitchen where the flight attendants sat chatting over magazines.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the lavatory and found it vacant. The wide door slid open quietly. Kyoko blinked a few times as the motion sensor lights flickered on revealing the beautiful space. Her mouth hung agape at the size of the restroom. The entrance door opened behind her making Kyoko whirl around to tell the intruder that it was occupied. It was clumsy of her to forget to lock the door.

She was speechless as she came face to face with Kuon carrying his bundle. He smiled roguishly as he stepped in and locked the door behind him. The once spacious room suddenly felt cramped with his presence. "Corn," she hissed. There was no way she was going to raise her voice any louder to bring attention to him. "Get out!" she mouthed and pointed to the door.

"What do you mean? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"What? No! I didn't tell you to come!"

"That's what she said," he muttered under his breath.

"Huh?"

Kuon smiled wickedly and closed the gap between them. Kyoko took shaky steps back until she bumped into the large vanity. She was trapped.

She had fled to this sanctuary to cool off her head, plash her face with cold water and brush her teeth. All the mundane things that were supposed to take her mind off the sexy man sitting beside her.

"We can't do this."

"Do what?" He asked innocently, taking a step closer. "I'm just here to change as you told me too." He tugged at the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it up and over his head.

Kyoko gulped at the sight of his naked torso. The necklace he always wore caught her eye as it sat snuggled between his pectoral muscles. She gripped the vanity to keep from reaching out to him. This was not the time nor the place. God, she was practically dripping at the sight of him.

"We can't, someone might come."

"I'm counting on it." He lifted her onto the vanity and stepped between her legs.

"That's not what I meant," she whispered

"We're both actors, one of us can fake stomach troubles."

"That is not sexy at all," she said. Her hands had a mind of their own as they ran over his chest and down his shoulders. His muscles were so firm. She moaned as he nibbled on her ear and trailed his lips down her neck. His hands rose to cup and knead her sensitive breasts. He ground his hips against her center and moved his hands to her thighs. He slowly pushed under her skirt while his hot mouth did tantalizing things to her covered chest.

Kyoko's eyes shot open when she finally realized where his hands were heading. She shoved his chest causing him to stagger back. "I'm sorry, Corn! We can't...I mean not there..." Her face burned with embarrassment as Kuon easily figured out her reason for hesitating.

He stepped back up against her causing her to frown in confusion. "It's okay as long as you're still clothed there, right?"

She couldn't resist him and nodded. He wasted no time lifting her from the sink and carrying her to the leather bench on the other wall. He sat down with her straddling him making sure her skirt was free.

Kyoko was frazzled and forgot they were in a very public place until Kuon reminded her by covering her lips with his finger. He looked at her intently as if waiting for permission to continue. With her face burning bright she nodded like a wanton woman. The rush of possibly getting interrupted heightened the sensations of their actions. He tore off her shirt and sucked her breast through the lace of her bra. Kyoko arched her back and rubbed herself against his bulge. Kuon groaned and drove his hips up against her. The taste of copper was on her tongue as she broke the skin of her bottom lip. She refused to let go knowing full well her gasps would be audible to those mere meters outside. She dug her nails into the back of his shoulders making him nip her bud in retaliation. She bucked her hips harder and faster until she quivered in his arms in a mind-numbing orgasm.

He stroked her sweat-drenched hair until she finally calmed down. "Kuon, you didn't…" He kissed her to silence.

"Shh…let's get you cleaned up first."

Kyoko gave him a strange look. She wanted to help him the way he helped her but he refused to let her sink to her knees. He was content sitting there as she went through the motions of getting ready for the night. From the reflection of the mirror, as she washed her face, he undid his belt and pants then reached for the bottle of high-end lotion on the shelf. She could only stare in amazement as he smiled smugly.

He pumped a few squirts into his palm and began stroking his length from tip to base. His stormy green eyes held her hostage. It always captivated her when he pleasured himself. He swore under his breath when she licked her dry lips. He upped his tempo, pumping furiously. He was so hot. Kyoko couldn't stand still for long. She perched on the small space next to him and crushed her mouth against his. Their tongues melded in a heated embrace. She swallowed every one of his grunts. It wasn't long before he was coming in one of the airline's Egyptian cotton finger towels.

She didn't know how long she sat there with her head on his shoulder but no one came knocking. It was the auto air freshener mounted in the corner that startled her out of her trance.

She flew into action cleaning the lavatory around Kuon. His eyes were filled with mirth as she floundered to wipe down every surface using hand sanitizer and paper towels. She didn't care that they never touched the toilet area, she cleaned it up with a permanent blush on her face. She gathered up her discarded clothing and took one last look at herself in the mirror. She looked presentable. She shot a final glance at Kuon and smiled. She was no better than him.

Kyoko used all her ninja training to sneak back to her seat undetected. Thankfully, the ladies were still engrossed in their magazines. Back at her seat, she followed the diagrams to change it into a bed and settled in comfortably. She was out before Kuon returned. Naturally, her last thoughts before sleep overtook her was of a mischievous fairy prince.

AN: Oh boy, I finally got them on the plane but now I can't get them out. They weren't supposed to join the mile high club; our girl is more modest than that but Kuon is just so tempting. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. I've been sitting on the theory that Kuon's birthday was indeed the 19th and have been waiting for this passport moment to throw it into the story. Sensei would probably prove me wrong.

GuessitGuest: Thanks for the review! I wish I was from the future so I know how SB ends. The thing with "Ceddy": The moment Erika mentioned his name, my mind instantly went to Kuon's bully since Kimiko had been living in the states she was bound to run into him. I didn't know if it was him. I just attached his name to that guy to fit my narrative. I'm so glad I found many on discord that also thought it could be him. I'm hoping with time apart from Kuon, maybe the douchebag had grown a little and reflected on his actions. I'm sure Sensei will once again prove me wrong and he's probably still an asshole with a very pretty face.

Thank you for always reading and for the reviews of the last chapter. I appreciate all of you.

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^