CHAPTER 81
I do not own skip Beat! Yoshiki Nakamura does.
First trip and its wonders: part 5.
They returned to their chalet and took the time to wash up and warm up with hot showers after so much time spent rolling in the snow, and after donning some comfy clothes, they all settled near the huge chimney. On the gigantic plush carpet or on the sofas, they all managed to sit near the fire they had rekindled. They would cook their own meal in the cabin today, instead of going to the arranged restaurant, so it was fine.
As soon as they were all sitting with warm cups in hands, uproar echoed as everyone started talking, asking questions; and roasting Ren mostly. For losing. Ren just laughed it off, looking all relaxed but also a bit stiff. Mei was sitting besides him. Too close. She clenched her teeth. Remove your hands from him!
She breathed deeply, trying to calm down. She had no rights over him. She had no business having an opinion, and locked her attention on Ren instead. He took some distance from Mei right as she was watching them, seeming uncomfortable, and she relaxed somewhat, knowing very well she still should not take umbrage of this. He was free to do as he pleased, no matter her feelings. Her gaze lingered on him as she saw him talk with the young petite woman, and she wondered if she was his type. She felt like sulking and pressed her fingers at her nose. She was behaving like such a brat. Get a grip on yourself. She lectured herself.
But she couldn't help her stare which remained on him, glad, in a sick way, he was not looking at her to notice.
He was sitting cross-legs against the close wall on the left in those loose yet absolutely gorgeously fitting dark pants, and a light grey-blue long-sleeve tee with a round col. It was one of his usual elegant cuts, and she couldn't help to grumble internally. They all look like they were wearing comfortable clothes, purposely large and warm. But he, he looked like a fucking god playing fake normality while his magical-ness otherworldly looks otherwise would transpire his every pore. And it still did so he was failing at pretending. She could already imagine him laughing at her, at her descriptions. But she would butthead with anyone to defend that view. Her fairy had enchanted blood somewhere in his bloodline, even if he was mostly human now. Taking full advantage of him not paying attention, she scrutinized further. His hairs were still messed up from the shower, and he had slipped off the slippers to unfold his feet in front of the fire. Her internal groans doubled.
Even his feet are sexy.
This was really – … she glided the caress of her gaze on those flexing elongated toes, cute toes too, watching how they tightened up to those muscled articulations further and connected. The lean dense force of those feet, the curves to the ankles. She imagined herself painting those svelte lines with the plush of her fingers, mapping out every stretched muscle, and feeling the warmth and the pulsating strength in those density. She imagined the texture under her palm as she would graze his skin higher, on his calf, and higher, on his tight thigh; and higher.
She dropped her head backwards against the cushion of the couch she was leaning on, wanting to be swallowed by the fluffy carpet she was sitting on, and let out a decidedly far too audible groan as she put her arm above her eyes. She was fantasizing about his feet. His feet!
And what's more, it had her wondering if his backside was as nice-looking without clothes that it was with it. She had always known he was sharp, and as soon as she had realized her attraction, years ago now, she had noticed how well shaped he was. But knowing and wanting to see were two different things. Hell, knowing and seeing were even more apart. And while, the closer they got, the more she wanted his attention and love, it also had another effect she hadn't anticipated she would have to control and refrain. Because her desire to touch him, to be able to observe him to her heart content and see how much he had changed from how he was in the past, both kept breaking the roof in intensity regularly. She had never been one to suffer hormonal changes and her sexuality much. Even more so because that incident happened just around the time it could have woken up. She had understood that later. Yet, now it was like she felt on edge all the time, a breath away to rapture or endless sexual frustration. And the worst part was Ren was the ruler of this. He had absolute, though unconscious, control of it happening. It was like he could switch her on at his leisure. It was maddening. She felt parched.
Swallowing, she quenched her thighs and attempted to calm her mad heart. It was ridiculous. She was just losing control, once more, and hurting herself all on her own with fantasies.
This fever really had no boundaries. The level of attraction, fondness and would she say, obsession even, that were happening to her, just left her breathless. And she thought she had it bad before coming back from the States … Ha!
And earlier even, she had really pushed it with how she had acted and won. She could be glad Ren hadn't suspected anything, and only considered as a scheme to win.
"You okay?" Kaï who was sitting by her side asked, and she briefly turned glossed eyes at him, nodding. "Just tired." She mumbled, and eventually let drop her forearm from her face to participate to the conversation when someone asked her a question, glad she had calmed down, somewhat. Ren was looking at her with worry, and she waved his concern away. She was suddenly happy he had been talking to Mei, and hadn't noticed her trouble.
"So, Kyoko-chan, we heard you tell Ren about Karate, Aikido, Self-defence, and even kickboxing." Said Saki after a moment. "But that doesn't explain the acrobatics. It was like you were flying." She said with excitement.
Kyoko went back to sitting rather than lounging, and hugged her knee to hide her reaction. Saki-san had no idea but this comment made her heart soared with more joy she would ever be able to admit. It was just a soft spot to her no one could know. She was so touched Saki-san had that sort of thought she took a long time replying.
The reason it made her want to roar with joy and accomplishment was so simple. She knew another person who could fly. No. She knew the only person who could fly. And that comment just made her feel as if she was a little closer to him. A little closer to be in the same world as him. A little closer to the goal of being able to fly with him.
Even though, she knew he would never stop soar higher than her.
But it wouldn't stop her to try.
When she had discovered he was her Corn years ago, when she had discovered that – even though he would always be magical to her – he was actually human, she had been awed. To know a human could do such a thing. To know a human could be skilled enough to appear as if they were truly flying in the air. She knew at the childhood time, her love for magic had played a part, and her blindness. But she also knew it hadn't been all. It was also because he had been so good at making her believe he was flying, because he had portrayed such a freedom in his body, in his capability to move and jump; it had carved it in her heart many times more because of that.
So, when she had discovered it all, she was floored but what also followed was, wonder. Wonder at her own capability to one day do the same.
Naturally, amongst her training in fighting and self-defence, this desire to reach the day she could fly in the sky with him had provoked searches on what disciplines could teach her how to do that.
Kyoko tried to resist the urge to drop her face against her thigh as she felt all pairs of eyes on her, included some disguised green ones, especially because she had sensed colour tinted her cheeks at the innocent remark of Saki-san.
Trying to be light, she replied.
"I wouldn't say flying, it's thanks to some training, that's all."
"Please."Insisted Saki-san. "It is not anything to be able to do that. You could have landed on Ren-san back earlier. I'm even pretty sure you hesitated but renounced for some odd reason at last second. Am I not right?"She inquired with a confident look that didn't let Kyoko deny it.
"Could you really have?" Ren asked with shining eyes, curiosity clearly gnawing at him, and she turned to him and nodded an inch. She suddenly felt bashful. They were making such a big deal of this.
"I wouldn't say it's nothing but I mean, I'm sure a lot of you know about some of the move," She said before adding as she waved at Ren, "And I'm pretty sure you know even more than me about it."
"That's not exactly true." Taku-san said with a smile. "Ren is the only one who does his own stunts in our group, you know." He tilted his nose at her. "And you."
She stopped with a start, and looked around at everyone.
"Seriously?"
They nodded.
"And I'm pretty sure we know as much as the other."Ren concurred. "I wouldn't even be surprised if you were currently more skilled than me."
She gaped at him. He was clearly not thinking straight.
"That's impossible." She stated as abruptly and as it was said in a tone of absolute settlement.
He chuckled.
"Why not?"
She shook her head again but he seemed determined to not let it go.
"What you performed earlier was high-class. I can jump high but I'm not sure I would be as precise in an improvised situation." He told her with easiness, and she had a hard time believing that. She was sure he would have been able to if he had truly wanted to. "But I'm curious about something," He said. "If you would have been able to land on me, why didn't you?"
She messed with her hair. She really had the impression to be examined under a magnifier with the way he was scrutinizing her. The others were curious too but they weren't looking at her as if they were planning to unwrap every little corner of her soul and body if she let them. She relaxed her posture, distracting herself with the move.
"It's possible in theory, and truly I've done it in the past but it was with someone expecting it." She explained. "I didn't want to risk hurting you."
He nodded in understanding but she couldn't help but to add.
"Honestly, even by surprise I was nearly sure you would still have been able to handle it," and she thought he might have looked please by her words but without certitudes, "but there is a small chance it wouldn't be the case, and that was enough to make me rethink it at last second."
"I can understand that." Said Saki-san. "I don't do my stunts but I learned the theory because it's still something I'm thinking about trying out, and from the gist I got, everything lay on the communication and preparation between the people. Especially in fights and or things that require coordination of different people. And from the lack of those can come the worst accidents."
Both Kyoko and Ren nodded.
"So, you learned what you pulled earlier from stunts for acting?"Kaï asked.
Kyoko shook her head.
"Yes and no, I guess."
"I went to some stunts training for the basics and for the ones required for roles I had certain times. But it was often strongly inclined to stage fight mostly, unless it was something very specific, a request from a producer or a production that could hire a private trainer for one person only."
Ren agreed to that.
"Yes, learning stunts and other moves at a larger level that doesn't circle around stage fight only is usually harder unless there are special circumstances."
"Then, how did you do?" Kijima asked.
She still felt awkward but she replied.
"Well, first, I tried to enhance my equilibrium with some sports that require it to be lighter on both feet and hands so that my centre-of gravity would be better and my posture and hold surer. Like surfing or rock climbing." She told them. "Because the lighter I became on my hands and feet, the freer I was with my moves."
She saw Ren tilted his head, his gaze still zeroed on her, as if he were trying to represent himself what she just told him, and couldn't help but squirm this time. She shifted a bit to face his friends more directly, and trying to ignore the myriad of questions she had in the head about what he was currently thinking.
"After that, I learned acrobatics." They looked at her, confused by those words so she clarified. "Not stunts as in stage stunts, but real acrobatics as acrobats do."
"You meant you followed a training for acrobats at stunt training?"Koga asked.
She shook her head with a little smile.
"No, actually, well, yes I followed a training programme for acrobats but not as a part of any official training or something like that." She countered. "I went to train in my free time in a circus, rather."
They extended big eyes at her, and she shrugged with a little chuckle.
"As said, the stunt training available any time is partial enough, and I wanted to learn all kinds." She insisted. "And too often, if there was one spot available for heavier stunts, they will propose it to men first, evaluating stuntwomen are rare enough, and even rarer on the harder ones. So, usually, the only spots for them are for the confirmed ones or the ones already having followed an official formation."
Ren came reinforcing this after a sigh, his own experience being rather similar. Only dedicated women managed a spot on more confirmed formations. It was very biased, and sexist in its own way.
"So, the only options would have been to wait on a long list that could have taken up to 18 months before it would have unlocked, or to hire a private trainer." She told them.
"And it would have been prohibitive, and most likely not all-encompassing even then." Ren commented, striking absolutely right on that.
"Oh, yes," She agreed, "I actually checked when I briefly envisioned it, and it was beyond exaggerated."
"But aren't you making good money?"Inquired Ken-san, and Kyoko felt glad she knew him better and could feel it was asked in all innocence. Because she had had questions of the sort in the past far ruder, that had been expressively made to poke and step over people. She had seen that sort of thing happen a lot in the States. Jealous people trying to find something, a weakness to latch on, and make others feel bad just to be the last standing and feel good about themselves.
She nodded at Ken with a much ease as she could, and tried to be natural with her reply, despite the others telling him he was being rude.
"That's right, I'm doing good." She said, hoping it wouldn't pass as bragging as it was really not the intention, "But it wasn't the case at the time I was trying to learn all of this. I hadn't landed many jobs yet, and I was paying for the renovations of the house and the bank loan." She explained. The loan hadn't been that high considering the house was as close to ruins as it could be with still walls and roof standing, and the fact it was in a remote area from the city. But it was still close to one of the most popular cities of the coast. And it was by the ocean. So, with the renovations, though done mostly by her, it still took her a few years to pay it back. Her increasing jobs and popularity helped, and considering, it was still pretty fast compared to what I know could be the situation of many people.
But she couldn't deny the first two years over there had been a bit tough for her, before it got better.
She shrugged it off, and smile at Ken-san when she saw he seemed to worry he had stepped on a land mine.
"Anyway, learning at a circus made it the easiest way to learn big and fast, and it was also a lot funnier if I'm being honest." She added and saw Ken-san was relaxing.
She could feel Ren's stare boring into her once more, and once more she wondered where his mind were.
"Did you learn tightrope walking?"Saki-san asked dangling excitation as if she couldn't help herself anymore with that question, and Kyoko chuckled and nodded.
"I did. It was incredible to learn that, really." She added.
"Can you still do it?"Asked Kijima and she nodded again. "I might be a little rusty since it has been a while, but yes, I can."
"I'd like to see that."Commented Ren suddenly and she glanced at him to see him staring at her with curiosity.
She laughed it off.
"It's not that special to see, I'm sure you all already see tightrope walkers." She said lightly.
The subject switched to something else and after a while, and she was happy to learn more of everyone personal hobbies. She even had the surprise to learn Taku-san took pictures on the side of his career, and she told him Kayla was a professional photographer. But time passed, and after listening and laughing for a few hours, she felt herself dozing off against the couch's cushion.
…
Kaï was retelling about the last time he got Koga into one of his endless jokes, annoying the hell out of his Ren's friend, though it was light-hearted and Koga always forgave him after some grumbles. Ren personally thought, his friend actually liked when Kaï messed with him in that way, but he kept his opinion for himself.
His gaze got distracted once more towards one particular person, wondering if she was having fun, if she was laughing, and that's when he noticed she was sleeping soundly. Her head was resting on the sitting cushion of that old anthracite couch, one leg lifted in support while the other long one was stretched in front of her. Those subtle yet filled with layers of vigorous golden strands lightened up and draped in unruly locks all around her form in her sitting position. As if it was a shiny alive silk coat. She was wearing one of those damn sexy off-shoulder pullovers in a beige tone she loved, that drove him nuts, and some dark tight leggings, and cute fluffy sockets. She looked ethereal.
He heard chuckles around, and lifted his head to see his friends pointedly looking at him.
"Look who we lost in starstruck stratosphere."Kijima said, speaking lower to not bother the sleeping figure. Ren ignored him.
"We should go to bed, it's late." He said after clearing his throat.
He heard a few snorts and "huh-huh" around but didn't address it.
"Alright. Do you wake her up or bring her to bed?"Asked Kijima with a wiggle of his brows, and a round of low laughs followed again. Ren rolled his eyes at them.
"What? Don't give us that look." He protested at Ren's response. "I'm not waking up her, she looks too comfy to be pulled out of slumber." He said with a shrug, and even Airi laughed this time. Though still mindful of keeping their voices low. "So, it's on you."
"The man does have a point."Briskly commented Taku, and Ren couldn't believe even him was up to the teasing. Saki influence was a certitude.
He shot a glance at him as he started to stand.
"So quick to turn to teasing once you are in a comfortable place, huh?"He commented with his own smile, with a glance to Saki, and this one giggled.
Taku shrugged, mimicking Ren to the dot in the way he did it before replying. "Can you blame me, though?"
"No."He mumbled out before squatting down near Kyoko. He whispered to her to wake up but she didn't even stir.
She did look to be in deep sleep. Her long lashes were shut tight but there wasn't a riddle of tenseness in her expression. And it didn't change, even as he tickled her nostril with the hair he was still holding softy. She looked so relaxed yet tired, but she still managed to appear as elegantly stunning as usual. Exquisite in every area he could look at but with such a humble natural in her grace. He held back a sigh. It wasn't often he had the occasion to see her so carefree, and she truly looked exhausted. He didn't want to wake her just to tell her to go to bed. Those gorgeous long locks of hers had pooled around her waist, and swirled around her figure. She looked like a goddess in modern attire. He pushed a strand away from her face, hesitating. He wanted nothing more than keep looking at her content sleeping face but he knew she likely would be sore in the morning if they let her stay the night on the couch.
He heard snickers as he took his time, and then sighs. "Seriously, when are you doing to tell her?" he heard Koga say as if it was the most obvious thing to do.
He didn't reply.
He wrapped one arm around her legs, softly and slowly, to not wake her up and keep it as comfortable as possible for her, and another around her waist; he lifted her. He put her close against him in a secure position and stood with her.
She just snuggled against him, and he dropped his gaze to stare at her, a grin erupted on his face. She had curled up, and now she looked like his squirrel again. An angelic squirrel. He couldn't decide if she looked more like an angel or a squirrel, and pondered this with high seriousness, not realizing he had been immobile and staring at her for a while now. She still looks more angelic, he decided. Especially with her hair. He felt his hand holding her at the waist was a bit tangled in them, and he couldn't help but marvel yet again at how soft to the touch the strands were. He was developing sudden urges as he imagined himself combing those locks for hours long. He wondered how they would feel on his chest if he weren't wearing any cloth. He wondered how it would feel to have them fall around his face, on his back, on his torso if they were naked. On his thighs. They were so long, they reached around her backside when in a straight line, so he was sure her hair would reach both their pelvis… If he had her in his arms, straddling him … if they were to make love…
Would it tickle? Would it make him shudder? Was she sensitive if someone touched her hair? Would she like that? Would it relax her? How did her back look under her hair? Would she like it if he peppered her whole body with kisses? From her cute toes to the top of her crown. In every nook and cranny her body naturally formed…
Would she find him annoying? Too pestering? Would she let him worship her properly? Would she find him silly? Would she laugh? Would she moan? Would she love it? How did she look in the throes of passion? Was she the loud kind? The ruthless kind? The free kind? Would he ever get to have her in his arms? To kiss her? To cuddle with her every morning and every evening?
How long could he still go like this?
He felt like he was suffocating under the depth of his feelings, of this closeness, of the pile of all those sweet moments. Yet, the lid wouldn't open. His heart was in her hands, ready to wrap up or to crush. But he couldn't care less as long as she let him in, in her life.
As long as he will have her smile…
But no, it wasn't enough. He wanted everything, and more. He needed a sign, though. Just one. Because everything but hurting her. One clue, and he would secure himself around her forever. Either he got one, either he would take the slow road. He would wait the eternity to have a chance with her, if needed.
Just one sign.
He heard Momose and Saki giggled.
" … you're so far gone, man." Kijima again, he could hear both the amusement and the indulgence in his voice. He sighed but couldn't help the smile in reply. There was no point denying it anymore.
"I know."
"I really wonder what you were thinking about staring at her like a starved man just now…"Koga commented in a clipped snorting tone.
He did not reply that, and swiftly turned around towards the stairs, before carefully climbing step after step with his precious bundle in his arms. And if he was walking slower than usual on the way to her room, no one was here to complain. Especially not the countless snickers travelling around as his friends also made their ways to their sleeping quarters.
One sign.
That was his last thought as he placed her in her bed, and retreated, closing the door behind him.
§§§
Next day proved to be meant to be a slow day as it was cloudy and colder, which made skiing complicate, and they were barely able to grab a couple of hours in the morning before it got too bad. They watched the previsions for the remaining of their time here, and were relieved to know it would already be cleared starting next day, normally. Though, it also said there was a risk of a bad storm at the end of their second week or at the beginning of the following. They could only hope the storm would drag to arrive, and indeed only come during the week after they left. It was a ratio of fifty-fifty, so their chances were still not too bad. And at worst, it would only change their plans for their last two days. So it wouldn't be too bad, even if it were here early.
In any case, Kyoko considered today as a blessing as it would give her time to train on her choreography and help Ken. She saw Ken-san talking to Ren this morning, he had apparently asked Ren to help him with the holds as she had proposed. She was glad. She later learned Ken wouldn't ask her to train him today, though, as he had something to do. But it suited her just fine because she was planning to evacuate some smoke with some personal training, and Kijima had wanted help with something and had dragged Ren somewhere for who knows long. Ren had told her he would have liked to rehearse the choreography today or tomorrow, if it were okay with her. It had been good for her but she knew the place Kijima brought Ren and Koga were at the far other edge of the station, and it had been one pm when he had texted her he was going there, since she had gone training two hours before. She shook her head, even if he were fast, which she doubted with both Kijima and Koga wanting to do some things, he wouldn't be able to go back before five pm. The closing hour of the gym centre.
She had craved the alone time, anyway, as the close quarters with Ren was starting to scratch too much at her defences again.
She trained for one more hour until the soreness of the precedent days reminded itself to her, and the sweet knowledge Ren had shared with her earlier got too tempting. He had told her Reo, Kaï and Taku went towards the bottom of the station where most stores were, and that the women went to explore the wellness area the station proposed. He shared that so she wouldn't be surprised if the chalet were empty when she came back.
But rather than surprised, it just made it too tempting to chill a bit inside during this windy day and cook something. Especially as her stomach started to growl it hadn't been fed its diner.
She threw her towel, and decided that was enough for today. She was too sore to insist in any case. She washed, changed and headed out.
When she stepped into the cabin, and silence greeted her, she breathed in the quiet atmosphere before laughing at herself. I've become a hermit. Seriously, it shouldn't have been so hard to socialize, and Ren's friends were adorable.
She checked her phone for a text of when any of them would be back but only Saki-san had sent a short message saying they had left after Ren and the others, so to not wait for them before eight pm at least. It was barely half past two pm. She raced to the kitchen and decided to cook herself and everyone a few things.
She roamed her way into the cupboards, fishing for what she had at hand. She hesitated for a bit to make some miso soup but it would be too light, they needed something that packed up more energy. She found some green veggies, and decided to grill them before making a potage with them. Then, she found enough material to make lasagna. She did two kinds, knowing some Ren's friends were vegetarians, and she knew at least Saki didn't consume classical floor with wheat. She used rice floor then. She finished her preparations with a dessert, and after some quick thinking, she chose to make brownies and blueberries cupcakes with the remaining rice floor. A lot of them. It would make great snacks to have on the slopes. Very filling. She used courgettes to replace the eggs, just in case someone didn't consume them. She hadn't asked everyone the list of the potential allergies so she preferred to be overly careful rather than having bad surprises. Plus using the veggies made it healthier and fluffier, and permitted to have less sugar but more chocolate in it. It was by far tastier, in her opinion.
She poured herself a bowl of potage, too starving to wait for the rest but very thankful the kitchen was well furnished as it had two ovens so she was able to bake both the lasagnas and the brownies at the same time, which made things faster.
One hour later, the brownies were cooling down and the lasagnas would just have to be warmed up. She took a huge brownie and wolfed it down before taking one for the road on a plate.
She checked her phone for the hour, and figuring she still had a few hours, she padded her way upstairs. She entered the soundproof room they had discovered when they had settled in, and the door hit the wing a bit loudly as she made her way to the far side of the room. Her sight was focused on the other side of the room, though, and she didn't bother closing it. She had been right. This room had been a music room, that's why it was soundproof. And she could see some old instruments negligently covered by old blankets to protect them she guessed, though it was a very poor attempt if it had been that. There were even some in their proper old cases.
PS: Hello everyone, look who is back. I hope you will like this chapter. Sorry if it's a bit slow-paced, it's setting up for several things. I should post next chapter soon as it's nearly done. Also, Parkerbear that some of you might know is to blame if this chapter is such a tease, buahahaha, she made it too tempting)
Kisses to everyone and see you soon. Peace and Love. Mimagfan.
AUTHOR OUT.
