Chapter 175: Karma's a Bitch!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, we would get more details on Kuon's bullied past.
"Hey, honey, need some help?" She smiled, watching him struggle with the bowtie around his neck. Glancing at her in the bathroom mirror, he could see the dark circles under her eyes after her 12-hour shift at the nursing home.
"I got it," he huffed, stepping back from her outstretched hands out of habit.
"Of course," she replied softly, moving back to the doorway and smiling through her hurt. He immediately felt guilty.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"I should be the one apologizing," she said, tearing up again. She's been doing that a lot since he came home. He scoffed internally. If one could call this rinky-dink two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that he now shared with his mom and his sixteen-year-old sister home. If he ever got a hold of his father, he would probably murder him.
"It's frustrating that I can't do this one simple thing right anymore." He tried one more time to tie the thing around his neck then gave up. It was an improvement but it still came out crooked.
"You just need a little more practice," she said and stepped in front of him. This time he fought himself to hold still, appeasing her while she tugged the stubborn material into place. It would take him time to get reacquainted with life again; so far, it wasn't what he expected.
"Thanks," he told her when she was done.
She cupped his cheek and smiled. "You're so handsome. You look just like your fa-."
His body tensed and his eyes hardened, making her cut off her sentence.
"I'm sorry," she apologized softly.
"I'll be late tonight," he clipped, turning to exit the bathroom not bothering to acknowledge her apology. "You should get some rest."
"I have a shift at the cafe," she called after him and smiled weakly. He grimaced, balling his hands into fists. This was all that asshole's fault. His once pretty mother wouldn't be killing herself working two jobs if his dad had not run off with that slut, leaving her with nothing but a mountain of his debt. The banks took everything and it still didn't cover it.
"What about Cory?" He asked, releasing the tension in his fingers as he turned to face his mother. The idea of his sister being alone at night here didn't sit well with him. There was no security whatsoever and the chain on the door would do nothing to deter an intruder. He knew what monsters went bump in the night. He met them. Once upon a time, he was one of them or still one of them.
"Corrine is staying at a friend's place tonight."
"Does this friend have a name?" He scowled, feeling protective over his baby sister. She had grown so much while he was away, he could hardly call her a baby.
"Yes, Jamie, and yes, if you must know, Jamie is a girl," his mom teased. He gave her a curt nod and grabbed his vest to put it over his crisp white shirt. "It's good to see that part of you hasn't changed. You used to be so bossy whenever someone would come near 'your baby.'"
A smile ghosted his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes. He remembered ordering relatives to wash their hands first or telling them not to kiss her because they might make her sick from their germs. That all changed in his early teens when his parents started fighting. His dad would storm out and his mother would be left heartbroken. His dad always came back with a gift and an apology and his mother would always welcome him home turning a blind eye to the lipstick on his collar. It got difficult to watch so he stayed away and got involved with the wrong crowd, leaving his sister to deal with it alone. I don't blame her for hating me.
"I have to go," he said, reaching for his wallet and phone on the table. He noticed the past-due bill among others sitting on the table and gritted his teeth. His mother saw him staring and hastily covered it up under the pretense of cleaning. If she wanted to pretend everything was okay, then he would too. The paycheck he would receive next week wasn't going to be enough to even cover the electric bill; however, after each party, he always received a portion of the big tip the host gave to his boss. So far, it had never amounted to more than $25 once it was split, but at least it was something. Tonight's event promised to be lucrative according to his colleagues that have worked it in previous years.
"Charles?" She called out to him as headed for the door.
"Yeah?" he asked, turning back with his hand already on the knob.
"I'll see you when you get home. Have a good day at work," she smiled.
"Yeah," he nodded, pulling open the door and rushing out to catch the bus.
On the bus ride, his phone buzzed with a new text on the display screen.
Free tonight?
Charles sighed wanting to ignore it, but he couldn't. If it wasn't for Martin he wouldn't have survived that place. He owed him his life. The problem was Martin wasn't adapting so well being on the outside. Charles couldn't afford to get roped back into that life, his mom and sister needed him to step up as the man of the house. He was terrified. There wasn't much opportunity for an ex-con. At least he was able to get his GED done in there.
The only reason he had this job was that his mother had hosted enough personal and business parties with the owner that he was willing to help her out. Between his dad taking off with all the money (including his and Cory's college tuition) and his incarceration, she was shunned by family and friends. Nobody wanted to be associated with his family after the crime he committed. It was supposed to be contained, but the gossip never failed to get around here.
His mother had hidden the truth from him for over two years, until the day she picked him up to take him home. The used car should have been a dead giveaway, but he said nothing. He should have known something was off when her routine visits became sporadic and she started to look worn out. Whenever he did see her, he would inquire about her health. Migraines keeping her up at night was her go-to answer. It was something he remembered her experiencing when he was younger, so he believed her. Loud noises and bright lights tended to make things worse, so he always tried to entertain his sister during those times. His mother assured him that she was receiving treatment for them. She broke down and explained everything when they finally pulled up to the apartment that was their new home. His father had practically burned through the settlement money they received for his silence trying to keep his business afloat until one day he decided to cut his losses and left them high and dry.
He shook out of his thoughts when his phone buzzed again notifying him of the unread message. He swiped his new (new to him) fancy smartphone which once belonged to his sister to respond to the message.
Naw, I'm working, he replied.
Martin responded immediately. You're missing out man. I scored numbers from a pair of hot models. They dig bad boys with muscles and tats!
Charles chuckled. He had not been with a woman in over six years. Martin got lucky one night and was put on his Uncle's crew to cover for a sick worker during fashion week. He still managed to somehow get into the venue without working as an excuse. Ever since then, he'd been getting new ass each night and flaunting it in his face. If Charles wasn't having family trouble, he would have gladly taken Martin up on several invitations to join him.
Tempting, was all he texted back. He could use a hot distraction right about now.
Fuck yeah! Where's work tonight? We'll meet you, my treat.
He stared hard at the message. Martin was willing to cover the costs. Since his mom and sister wouldn't be home tonight, it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun. What could go wrong? He thought.
I'll be at the Beverly Wilshire. I get off at 1 am.
The Hizuri event? Martin swiftly replied.
What? He thought as chills ran down his spine. When it came to his job, he was only interested in knowing the time and place. He never bothered with the details of the event. He thought Martin's obsession with the Hizuris was over. The first year in the slammer, Martin had raged against the Hizuris and the Bennetts as a coping mechanism. His hate seemed to dissipate long before their release and Charles thought he was over it. Martin was pissed at him for a while since he wasn't more resentful. In Charles' humble opinion, they deserved to be in there. If he was going to be pissed at anyone, it would be himself for being stupid and following along with Cedric's sick whims. It sucked that they got caught, but they weren't snitches. They kept their mouths shut and got money out of the deal. Charles thought he was coming home to a sweet nest egg when he was released, but his loser father fucked all his plans.
I don't know. I just show up. Hey, I gotta go. I'm at work now.
He wasn't, but he didn't want to entertain Martin in case he got any bad ideas. The last thing he needed was him making a scene at his workplace and pulling him into the fray. He needed this job financially and it was necessary per his probation.
The last job Charles worked was at a gallery. He chuckled bitterly when his eyes had landed on the giant image of the kid whose life he had helped make a living hell. The night went from bad to worse when Cedric Bennett walked into said gallery later with an air of princely confidence. It pissed him off that he was doing just fine living the good life. Charles had to beg a colleague working the back to switch with him before he did anything stupid. It was luck that Cedric was already gone by the time Martin arrived, wanting to grab a beer and introduce him to his new "friends." That was a mistake because Martin was already in a shitty mood and his friends turned out to be ex-cons too. Charles had called it a night after one beer and left not wanting to get involved with more trouble. If he wanted to hang out with psychos like them, he would have just stayed in prison.
Right! See you at 1.
Yeah, he replied lamely but worried what tonight would bring. This one time, he broke his rule to use data and browsed the internet to search for tonight's event. He found what he was looking for and stopped breathing. Karma's a real bitch!
It was the sound of fabric rustling and metal clinking that pulled him out of unconsciousness. The delicate hand that gently brushed the loose hair from his brow and rested on his forehead is what brought him out completely. His eyes remained closed as he slowly roused from his slumber. He stirred as the palm on his head was replaced by the softest of lips, once, twice, thrice. She kissed the middle and each side before she pulled away.
"Sleeping beauty," she whispered, her breath a sweet caress upon his lips. He dare not move, wondering what she would do next. He fought the urge to twitch as the back of her knuckles traced his cheekbone.
"Sleeping Beauty, it's time to wake up," the tantalizing voice murmured. Finally, warm lips pressed against his, giving him what he wanted. He released a contented sigh parting his lips and exchanging open kisses with subtle licks in between. She pulled away biting and tugging on his bottom lip for a moment before letting go.
He smiled and slowly opened his eyes. "My prin-," he began, hoping to play along with her fairytale act. He didn't mind being the princess to her prince. Her transformed appearance had him correcting himself and adapting to the scene. "My goddess," he whispered hoarsely, taking strands of her long lavender-gray hair between his fingers to stroke its silkiness.
"Am I dreaming," he asked breathlessly and pulled the strands to his lips to press a chaste kiss upon them.
"Shall I pinch you to find out?" She teased, readying her fingers.
"That won't be necessary," he squirmed, playfully moving away from her. "You can't blame me, look at you. You're so beautiful," he confessed, bringing his fingertips to touch her cheek, careful not to disturb the makeup around her eyes. Ten and her friend had outdone themselves. She had shades of green, teal, and blue shadow painted over her lids and below her eyes down to her cheekbones. It was obvious to him that the colors were chosen to replicate the sea. The makeup extended over the bridge of her nose and past her temples to her hairline giving the illusion that she was wearing a mask. Pearls of various sizes were placed between her brows and along the contour of her nose. Wisps of a gold powder were dusted below each eye making it look like sand and an ornamental starfish was placed on each side, amplifying the brilliant gold in her eyes. She looked every bit the goddess he thought when he first opened his eyes.
"Wait until you see mom and Tina," she exclaimed, smiling broadly. "Get up lazy bones, you have to get dressed. Everyone is waiting."
When he didn't immediately move her expression turned to concern. "Are you okay, Corn?" She asked, placing her hand once again on his forehead. "You might be coming down with something."
"I'm fine," he assured her, removing the hand from his head and kissing the tips of her fingers, then nipping and licking each one. He smirked, pleased when her face flushed and her body trembled at his seductive touch.
"Stop trying to distract me," Kyoko groaned, snatching away her hand from his roaming tongue. Kuon chuckled at her cute reaction. "I bought you something," she added, quickly changing the subject. She rose from her bed and went searching through the shopping bags she brought home today.
Kuon scooted to the edge of the bed, contemplating what she could have got him. Whatever it was he would cherish it no matter how big or small since it was a gift from her.
"It's not much, but when I saw it, I knew I wanted to get it for you," she explained nervously. "It doesn't compare to what you gave me today and I'm almost embarrassed to give it to you."
"Please don't do that," he pleaded. "Don't belittle your gift. I'll be happy with whatever you give me because my cute girlfriend thought about me and took the time out to get it for me. That alone is enough to make my heart burst with joy." He gazed at her, hoping to convey all the love he held for her through his disguised eyes.
"Okay," she smiled shyly, and brought the box over to him then sat on the edge of the bed. "Here you go."
"Thank you." Kuon took the 3 by 4-inch box out of her hand and kissed her cheek. He kept his eyes glued to hers teasingly while he slowly uncovered the box.
"I love it," he said, so confidently that she almost believed him, but he had yet to glance down at what was contained in the box.
"Stop it, you silly playboy, and look at it." Kyoko laughed, giving him a playful shove against his chest.
Kuon finally tore his gaze from her and looked down into the box.
"Are these lovebirds?" He asked, not quite sure what he was looking at since the jewelry was nestled in the velvet cushion. He gulped wondering if they were oversized earrings that she expected him to wear.
Kyoko gasped with surprise and her cheeks burned. It appeared that she had not counted on him to instantly recognize the intricate carving of the sweetest pair of birds he ever saw. He wasn't lying when he said he loved it. It reminded him of his love for nature.
He picked up a pair of the birds to examine it more closely and noticed the bar on the backside.
"They're cufflinks," she blurted before he could pose the question. "I thought you could wear it tonight with your tux," she explained shyly then jumped to her feet to apologize. "I'm being presumptuous. You don't have to feel obligated to wear it. You're probably used to…"
He snaked his hand around her wrist and gently pulled her back to him maneuvering her dress carefully so she could sit on his knee like a child would on Santa Claus.
"I love them and I'm going to wear them and flaunt my wrist off all night making all the men envious of me for having been blessed with a beautiful and talented girlfriend. All would wish to be me."
"You're so silly," she giggled and cupped his smooth cheek, then pecked him on the lips. "Are you still tired?" He shook his head.
"Are you worried about tonight?" She asked cautiously, the concern flashing prominently in her golden eyes framed by the overly long lashes.
Kuon sighed heavily, a portion of his soul escaping his body. She always just knew.
"I didn't know they took up this kind of charity." His parents were a force to be reckoned with. He could only imagine the world of good something like this would do for others like him or Kyoko, knowing she, too, had suffered when she was younger.
"It's not surprising to me, they love their precious son very much," she smiled. He nodded agreeing with her. His parents had not sat idly by waiting for him to come home to them, they had thrown themselves into something to help drive change and used their platform to do so. He didn't know all the details yet, but he wanted to learn more and try to help.
"I want to help too," she said softly as if reading his thoughts. "Something like this would surely help students back home. It would take time to change things on a grander scale, but I can start small by looking closely at the school I attend then go from there. I'm sure mom and dad would be more than eager to help."
"Are you having difficulties at school?" he gasped, pulling away from her. It had been so long since he had heard her talking negatively about the school she loved, so it came as a surprise to him.
"Nothing I can't handle, but others may not be so lucky."
He didn't like that she dismissed the issue about her and began to protest, "Kyoko, if the school is…"
"It's child's play for Natsu," she assured him and Kuon couldn't help but snort. "We can talk about it when we get back to Tokyo, for now, let's get you dressed." She stood undoing a button on his dress shirt. The mischievous gleam in her eyes was going to be the death of him.
Kuon's heart rate increased as she reached the last button, sliding her hands up his abs over his chest, pushing the shirt off his broad shoulders, and teasing his biceps with a light squeeze in the process.
"Stand," his goddess commanded. He quickly obeyed until she reached for the belt on his jeans. With great reluctance, he grabbed her hands to stop them.
"Baby, as much as I appreciate the help. I think you should leave me to finish things here." He smirked when she jutted her bottom lip and pouted. The Emperor made his presence known and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Unless you want to ruin everyone's hard work." He traced his index finger along her exposed collarbone seductively. Kuon pulled his head up to meet her stare and found her eyes dark and cloudy with lust. The way she nibbled her bottom lip told him she was contemplating the idea.
"Can I at least watch?" She practically begged.
Kuon groaned and counted to three before gently pushing her out of the room, shutting the door in her face, and locking it for good measure. It was a huge mistake agreeing to room with his parents no matter that this suite was the size of an upper-scale house.
He ran his hands through his hair a few times then pushed away from the door to get ready. He had missed the opportunity to tell her about Cedric possibly making an appearance tonight and made the executive decision not to tell her about the other matter. Soon they would be on their way to Tokyo and it wouldn't matter. There was no need to worry her unnecessarily.
Ding dong. Ding dong.
He put down his razor and washed his face then patted it dry. He wasn't expecting anyone so he wondered who it could be. The only one annoying enough to drop by unannounced these days was Flynn. He pulled on a shirt and headed to the door, without looking through the peephole, he wrenched it open.
"Grandpa," he exclaimed, taking in the man standing before him with a cellphone to his ear.
"Ceddy, my boy," his grandfather greeted him with a warm smile and put away his phone. "I thought I missed you."
"What are you doing here?" He asked as his grandfather engulfed him in a hug.
"You didn't think I would let you go there by yourself now, did you?" Eltra admonished, stepping into his apartment and removing his top hat. Cedric only now realized that his grandfather was dressed in a tuxedo under his trench coat.
Cedric wanted to argue and tell him that this was something he needed to face alone. He didn't want to get his family any more involved with his problems if he could help it, but the truth was he was relieved.
"Thanks, grandpa!" Cedric swiped at his eyes, wiping the moisture that seemed to have pooled at the corners, unknowingly.
"Hurry up and get dressed. You don't want to be late for the ball, though I really wish you'd find a pretty girl to go with instead of this old man."
Cedric groaned. "Don't start with that again. You're the only one for me." He said with such conviction, but the image of a beautiful Japanese woman comfortably sitting in a cafe, makeup-free, and clad in sweats floated through his mind.
You're out of your damn mind, Cedric! She's an ocean away!
His hand touched the cheek where her soft lips had pressed before they parted. Cedric shook his head, clearing those thoughts out of his mind.
"Ceddy, something wrong?" Eltra called to him.
"I'm fine, I'll be out in ten minutes." He left his grandfather in the living room and proceeded to his room to get dressed.
AN: Oh boy, I wanted to write more but the holiday weekend snuck up on me and so I decided to post what I had. We are almost to that ball. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I used Kuon and Kuu's discussion in the last chapter to introduce a new POV that many of you saw coming. I figured getting in his head would give us more insight than him having a long conversation with an already established character. I hope you enjoyed it.
Thanks for always reading and for the reviews of the last chapter. Happy Easter to those that celebrate!
Until next time, ja ne! ^_^